Beside The Dying Fire
by jerikataryn
Summary: Two years have gone past since the fall of the prison and Beth and Daryl have found a new group to call their own. They are still stuck on the family they lost that day but have agreed to start partaking in society again. It seems like the perfect place for them until trouble starts to ensue. Bethyl.
1. A New Place To Stay

**New Bethyl story! I'm going to try to make this one as realistic as possible with their relationship. Leave a review and tell me if you like it or not! **

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It had been two years since the fall of the prison. It had been two years since Beth and Daryl had seen anyone from their beloved group before. Beth was older, wiser. Daryl had found a special place for Beth in his heart. It was just the two of them together. They had found another group, but it was nothing like what they had come from. No one would be able to replace Rick, Carl, Michonne or Glenn.

The people they had met up with were nice, took them in when they had nothing. Beth and Daryl had stumbled across them at a grocery store and then led them back to an amusement park. They explained how fortified it was, with the fences and all but Beth and Daryl were smarter than to glorify the fences. They wouldn't hold for long.

Daryl decided that this time, he wouldn't lead anything. It took too much out of him. He didn't want to be someone that the group depended on. Only Beth, that's whom he would take care of and she would, in return, take care of him as well. She would be the only one to truly understand him and why he was the way he was.

The same with Beth – it was unspoken between them, but they knew they would never fit into this new group. They would be the outcasts, the people who stuck to themselves. There were people Beth's age and older teens but she still stuck around Daryl. He didn't mind.

While other families had converted the game stations into their homes, Beth and Daryl had taken to the Haunted House ride. They had ripped out most of the attractions and the scary props that were supposed to pop out so it almost resembled a normal house. They used a few of the carts as chairs but had found air mattresses in a Wal-Mart nearby.

Thought they used that as their house, Beth usually liked to walk around the fence of the park singing. Some walkers would walk along with her in perfect pace with her or others would keep attacking the fence. She had filled her moleskin journal from the prison full with songs about the people she had lost.

She believed they were still alive; leading their own lives somewhere out there. Beth wouldn't deny that a few of them might be dead. She believed Maggie and Glenn were out there tackling the world together just like she and Daryl were. Beth rounded the fence for a second time, walking past the slide tower, kids winding down the slick plastic and giggling. It reminded her of Judith and the pain it brought with the thought of her.

That was one person she was on edge about. Judith was the only person Beth allowed herself to think was dead. It was easier to move on that way. Beth walked faster, the laughter of the children drowning away. She would never let herself get close to another child again – it was too dangerous even inside the fences. She would never do that to herself again. And she sure as hell would never bring her own child into a world like this.

Beth stared out into the forest, the light of the day fading fast. She had a flashlight on her person, but she would have to head back to the house soon for dinner with Daryl. Everyone else usually ate at the carousel, a place big enough to fit mostly everyone to eat. They removed most of the horses, leaving a few for the kids to play on but replaced them with tables from various places around the park.

There was a group of men that would go out each day and hunt. Daryl attended a few sessions but was appalled at their level of stupidity and how often they scared the game away. From then on, Daryl went out on his own and brought back just enough for Beth and him to make it through a few days worth. Every once and awhile they would attend the group dinner but it just wasn't the same. Daryl was sure that if they escaped during the night no one would notice.

Beth gazed out through the trees. When she was feeling particularly low she would go to the farthest point in the park and stare out into the forest. She would hope to see a familiar face out there, whether it be dead or alive. She needed closure. Beth turned to head back into the heart of the park but stopped.

She hadn't noticed Daryl sidle up beside her, his piercing gaze searching the trees as well. There was something different about him tonight. "Daryl," Beth started. "What's wrong?" She asked. Daryl turned his gaze on the only person he trusted in this world anymore and shook his head.

"'S nothing," he quipped. Even if they were safe inside the fences, Daryl still carried his crossbow with him everywhere regardless of what people would say. They would question him, thinking it was useless since they were safe behind the fences.

Daryl would quietly, and rather roughly, would say, "That's just the way it is," and walk away. Beth kept her knife in her sheath, a present from Daryl years ago. It was her lucky weapon. It had gotten her through many sticky situations. "Let's get back n' eat," he said, turning slowly, waiting for Beth to walk beside him. She easily kept his pace.

She had grown taller, her legs longer. She almost looked regal or elegant – a silent killer. Daryl admired the fact that she was a woman now. "Do yah know what day it is?" Daryl asked silently from the side of his mouth.

Beth tucked a lock of her sweat-curled hair behind her ear and shook her head. "I don't," she answered. It must have been important for Daryl to remember. "What day is it?" She asked as they traveled farther into the amusement park.

They had started to trek up the hill towards the main part of the park when Daryl finally answered her. "Two years ago, Beth. Today," he said, adjusting the crossbow slung across his back. He squinted out in front of him. He tried to ignore the hurt inside of him of the unknown. It killed him to not know if Rick or Carl or any of the others were still alive or not. He needn't say more for Beth to understand what he meant.

She drew a breathe in. Beth chided herself for not remembering. "How do you know?" She asked, not denying him, but just curious. That was one quality she still possessed. He scuffed his boot against the asphalt before he paused. He didn't want to talk about this around other people and they were soon to the carousel and he knew it would be crowded.

"Yah know the one room n' the house, the one with glow n' the dark paint on the walls? I've been scratchin' tick marks in the paint," Daryl explained, keeping his eyes even on Beth. It was a room she didn't visit often. It was upstairs, a room they hadn't bothered cleaning out. Small, not of much use to them.

Beth felt her heart drop. She knew it had been awhile since the prison fell and they were separated from the rest of their group but she didn't imagine it had been _this_ long. "Two years," she whispered. She folded her arms around her stomach, trying to keep herself from falling apart. Daryl nodded, dropping his gaze to the ground. "Daryl, I think we should start to become more a part of this group."

He let her words sink in. She was right and he hated to admit it. They had been here awhile and had only kept to themselves. He sighed, giving in. "It just ain't the same, Beth, yah know that." Daryl couldn't get over the fact that it wasn't his group and that he had to let go of them when they had taken up so much room in his heart. All that remained was Beth.

He felt her arms wrap around him then. Her cheek pressed against his chest, the frizz of her hair tickling his neck. "I know," she whispered against his skin. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about them." She hugged him tighter though his hand just cupped her elbow. It comforted her.

"That why you're out here all the time, inn't it?" Daryl asked, dipping his head to look at her. "You're lookin' for 'em, ain't yah, Beth? Makin' sure they ain't a walker?" Beth stiffened around him. She never thought he would catch on to what she was doing. She was making sure that every walker out around the fences wasn't someone she used to know.

She had been lucky so far. She pulled back from him, unwrapping her arms from around his torso. Beth cupped her elbows, feeling the tears threaten but she wouldn't let them fall. "We should go get dinner. Eat at the carousel tonight," she suggested. Daryl nodded in agreement and they started to walk again.

After a few minutes, the carousel came into view. Most of the park's residents were already filling the tables and chowing down on the day's catch. It was a rare occasion that Daryl and Beth attended the group's dinner instead of keeping to themselves and eating what Daryl had caught. But it was nice for Daryl to not have to go out again by himself and hunt.

The pair stepped onto the elevated surface of the carousel, gazes drifting from their food to the new arrivals. Beth wanted to blush under their scrutiny, but Daryl just pushed her along with a gentle hand to the small of her back. They had reached the long folding table filled to the hilt with meat.

It was mostly deer and squirrel meat but there was an array of veggies and fruits as well. A group of hunters were hovering on the other side of the table, watching Daryl and Beth closely. To Beth's surprise, Daryl had spoke first. "Whenever you're goin' out again, let me know, I'll tag along." They gave him a firm nod but moved along. Beth and Daryl filled their plates with what they wanted and zigzagged their way back through the tables to an empty one.

"They weren't too friendly," she said, stabbing her fork into the slab of meat on her plate. Daryl shrugged his shoulders. Unlike Beth, he thought, he was treated that way most of his life until the Apocalypse hit. He amounted to nothing in the real world.

He stuffed a forkful of the juicy meat into his mouth and chewed. He swallowed quickly. "They ain't gonna be acceptin' of us right away, Beth," he said, staring at her as she ate. "'Sides," Daryl continued. "We're both gonna have ta get used ta socalizin' again."

It was true. It had been just Beth and Daryl for so long that the people around them just felt like ghosts. "I'm scared," Beth confessed. "I don't wanna forget about them," she said, knowing Daryl knew exactly whom she was talking about. "I don't know if I can let these people in like I did to them. I don't wanna go through that hurt again."

Daryl had the urge to reach across the table and take her hand in his. He didn't like to see the pain on her face. He pushed the thoughts of her dying out of his head. "We gotta stop thinkin' 'bout em'," Daryl sighed, finally letting himself say what he was denying the past two years. "We gotta let em' go. We woulda found em' by now." Beth nodded, turning back to her meal even though her appetite was gone.

She still needed to eat. She closed her eyes as she chewed the remainder of her meal, trying to hold on to the last images she had of the people she loved. Maggie, Glenn, Carl… her father… She saw all of those people when she looked at Daryl. "You finished?" She asked as she scraped any last bits off her plate with her fork.

"Yeah," he grunted. He stood and collected her silverware and plate, discarding it in the bin to be washed by the women of the camp. Beth thought she could help with that tomorrow. She had grown up on a farm, she could help with cooking, cleaning, anything really. Daryl, he could hunt, help keep the park safe. Beth stepped off the carousel platform, looking back to Daryl.

He was lagging behind slightly. "Beth, yah can go on back to the house, I'm gonna stay back n' talk awhile," his blue eyes flashed to hers. She wrinkled her brow an inch. "Gotta start fittin' in." She understood and didn't argue anymore.

The sun had already plunged from the sky and darkness fell upon the park. Beth pulled her small flashlight out of her pocket and clicked it on as she started towards the far corner of the park where their house was located. She knew the path by heart now. She followed the small ball of light as it glided over the ground leading up to the roped off pathway to the entrance.

Collectively, they decided to leave the "ENTER IF YOU DARE" sign staked in the front yard as a joke. Some people seemed to take it seriously. She pushed open the front door and they slammed shut behind her. Beth felt against the wall next to the door for the lantern they kept there.

She easily found it and switched it out for her flashlight. Instead of heading right towards their bedroom, she started up the stairs to the room Daryl had told her about. She had only been in it once, when they first arrived. Since then, she had forgotten about it; but now Daryl had piqued her curiosity.

Beth stood atop the stairs at the landing, trying to rig her memory for the right room. She started down the hallway, catching a glimpse of glowing swirls on the walls. None of the rooms had doors on them, which made it easier for her to find it. And just as Daryl had explained, scratched into the paint of the far wall were hundreds of tick marks. They were in the faces of demons and skulls and the swirls that bloomed around the background.

It almost took her breath away. She approached the wall, lightly touching the pads of her fingers to the scratches placed by Daryl. She wondered when he had come up here and done them. Weekly? Daily? Her hand dropped to her side. These tick marks were just another reminder that her family was gone.

She turned and ran from the room and away from the pain it brought. Beth flew down the steps and into the biggest room of the house where she and Daryl resided. Her bed was on one side and his on the other, jammed into the corner. She flung herself onto her bed, burying her face into the folds and wrinkles of her blankets. No matter what, she wouldn't let herself cry. It just wasn't who she was anymore.

Beth must have fallen asleep because it was hours later when she woke. She was jostled awake slightly from Daryl crawling onto her mattress next to her. His arm draped over her waist lightly. She rolled over to face him. "Daryl?" She whispered. "Are you okay?" She could just barely make out the features on his face in the dim light.

"'M fine, Beth. I just need yah tonight," he murmured, his eyes falling shut. Beth didn't argue. They had shared a night like this before. It was back before they had even known about the park. In the back of a hardware store they laid until Beth snuggled up to Daryl. It was stiff, it was awkward. But Beth needed consoling. It was the first night she realized that she would never see her family again.

This was that night for Daryl and the night that Beth would let go of them for good. Daryl's grip on her tightened. They fell silent again. Beth cupped his shoulder, her eyes closing, sleep dragging her under again. They were safe in each other's arms. That was one thing they were sure of anymore in this world.


	2. Going Separate Ways

**It means so much to me that you guys enjoyed this story so much! I never thought to get this many followers or favorites in just a short amount of time. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Leave a review please (: It really helps me to get the next chapter out!**

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When Beth awoke she was cold. The heat of Daryl had left her. He was in rare form last night; she had never seen him this low. They had slept on the same mattress once or twice, but that was to stay warm during the winter since they haunted house had no heat. Last night was different.

Beth struggled to sit up, gazing around the room. Still no sight of Daryl. She shrugged on a chunky cardigan, a cool breeze drafting through the top floor. She knew autumn was coming soon and after that would be winter. Beth started down the stairs just as the smell hit her. It smelled good, something she hadn't smelled in awhile. It was eggs and bacon and toast.

Daryl had the entrance to the house propped open even though he was outside in the front yard. He had a small fire going, a grate held over it on four stakes. "Where did you get all this?" Beth asked, pulling her cardigan closer around her. It would soon be time to drag out their warmer clothing.

Daryl straightened out, shuffling away from the fire slightly. There were a few other survivors out and about; carrying water, kids running and playing or elderly couples out on a walk. They all seemed to ignore Beth and Daryl. "There was a run this mornin'," he quipped, his eyes dropping. "I volunteered to go along." He shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing.

Beth digested what he had told her, then nodded. "Good. That's good. We need to help out more," she said, walking closer. They had two lawn chairs in the front yard; Beth sat in one of them. She leaned forward on her knees, plucking at the sleeves of her cardigan. "Need any help?"

"Nah," Daryl said. He gestured towards the meal cooking with a spatula. "I got it covered." Beth nodded. A few minutes later after turning the toast over to cook the other side, breakfast was ready. For so long, Beth had gotten used to oatmeal and cereal – this was a nice change. Daryl chewed slowly, pacing himself. "So what do yah plan on doin' today?"

Beth swallowed what she had in her mouth and answered. "I was thinkin' I could help with the laundry. I always did it at the prison," she looked into the dying fire; it was all but smoldering embers now. "Maybe try n' make some friends." Daryl watched her, the happiness from the meal fading from her eyes. They flashed to him then. "What 'bout you?"

He shrugged his shoulders. He hadn't really figured that out yet. "I think they're buildin' a dock down by the river. Might help out with that," Daryl told her. The river was still in the confines of the park, but there was no dock. A dock would make it easier to fish off of. Beth nodded; it would be good for him to become a part of the community. She knew he needed other people, not just her.

They finished their breakfast in silence. It was just forks against the plates and that was all. Conversation usually wasn't heavy between them, but when they did talk, it meant something. Finished with her breakfast, Beth left her plate on the pile and headed inside to get dressed for the day.

In the years that she had been gone from the prison, she had accumulated a little wardrobe. A few items for spring and summer and a few more items for winter and fall. She stripped off her dirty clothes, throwing it into the bag of dirty clothes that belonged to both her and Daryl. She would take it along to wash. Beth threw on a new, clean tank top and buttoned up a floral shirt over it, leaving the last top buttons undone.

Beth then pulled on a clean pair of Capri's, leg warmers and her favorite pair of cowboy boots. Daryl eased into the room, hovering by the doorway. "Dressed?" He asked silently, not wanting to intrude on her if she wasn't decent.

"'M fine," she called, pulling the ponytail holder out of her hair. Daryl sauntered in then, propping his crossbow by the door. He watched as she combed out the tangles in her hair with her fingers and then proceeded it to braid it down over her shoulder. He liked when she did her hair like that. "Got any other dirty clothes for me?" Beth asked, standing and turning to face him.

Both their gazes drifted to Daryl's side of the room. Daryl had less of wardrobe than Beth did, but somehow it seemed to end up all at the foot of his bed. "I think I'll be good," he shrugged. Beth nodded and headed towards the door.

She hesitated, looking back at him. She wanted to say so much more to him but she couldn't find the words. Something happened between them last night but Beth couldn't figure it out. He looked sad, but so did she. And they were sad; there was no denying that. Beth sighed. "I'll see you later, Daryl," she finally ended up with. He gave her a small nod before she left the house with the laundry over her shoulder.

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Daryl could hear the banging of the hammers even before he got remotely close to the part of the river where they were building the dock. He could also hear the walker's hisses and moans as he grew closer towards the fence. It was almost deva vu seeing the walker's arms stretching through the bars. He shivered.

Like he thought, they were a few men working on the dock. All the wood they had chopped down had been smoothed down with the plane that they stole from the woodcarver's shop in the park. It was all a matter of building the frame and hammering on the planks. "Hey," Daryl called, jutting his chin out.

The man on his hands and knees turned to look at who was approaching. "Daryl?" He asked. He didn't want to show he was surprised, but he failed. Miserably. He stood, brushing off his hands and knees, crooking an eyebrow at him.

"I just thought you's could use some help," Daryl shrugged, hitching the crossbow higher on his shoulder. He squinted at Will through the sun. He was waiting for him to tell him they had it covered. It was what he had always heard through childhood up until he met Rick's group.

_Ouch_. That hurt to think about. Daryl shifted his weight. Taking his opportunity, Daryl strode over to a small workbench they had set up and grabbed a hammer. "It's the least I could do. I wanna start helpin' out," he said, trying to smile. But all Daryl could notice was Will judging him. Some of the other workers that Daryl didn't know the names of stopped and looked at him.

Finally, Will nodded. "It'd be nice," he said, taking a hanky from out his back pocket and blotted it over his forehead. Although it almost felt like autumn, the sun was still scorching. Daryl shrugged his crossbow off and went to help Will. An hour and a half later, the dock was fishing worthy.

Daryl stood, wiping his own forehead off with the black hanky he still had. Through the heat, he could see one of the other women from the camp was striding towards them. He tried to think of her name but he came up blank. She arrived with two glasses of freshly squeezed lemonade, complete with a lemon wedge and a straw. She offered one to Daryl and the other to Will. "Thank you, ma'am," Daryl said taking the chilled glass.

She smiled in return. "This is Alice, my wife," Will said, leaning over and planting a kiss on her cheek. A hot blush crept onto Alice's cheeks. "And that's my son, Christopher, over yonder," Will gestured farther down river. Christopher wasn't paying any attention to the world around him except for what he was focused on. And that just happened to be fishing. He was waiting for the dock to be finished up.

"Is that your wife that you came here with?" Alice asked kindly. Though, Daryl could see the apprehension in her eyes. She wanted the answer to be 'no' and he could tell. Even in the new world, age gaps in relationships were a hard thing to get used to. But when everyone was at risk of dying, they would take what they could get.

Daryl shook his head. "Nah," he started, taking a sip of his lemonade. "Beth ain't my wife. We were part of a group before, but we were attacked and we escaped together. We could never find the rest of our group." Daryl chewed on the inside of his lip. It hurt to tell these people about his past, but he was going to have to get used to it.

Their faces fell. They felt sorry for him. "Damn walkers," Alice chided, narrowing her gaze to the group of walkers that were still reaching through the bars of the fence. Of course they would think walkers attacked their group, but Daryl and Beth decided to keep that part a secret. "How long ago was that?" She asked, her gaze settling back on Daryl.

He shrugged. "Two years or so." He was going to tell them he had been counting. She reached forward, cupping his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. But at least yah got Beth," she said, giving him a tight smile. Now that was one thing Daryl could agree with. With the conversation over, Daryl sucked down the rest of his lemonade, his thoughts wandering to Beth. He hoped she was adjusting well.

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Beth headed across the park towards the party pavilions where the laundry was done. She could already see some of the clean laundry hanging on the clothing line blowing in the wind. Then the sounds of laughs and carrying on made their way to her. She swallowed her fear and pressed forward.

There were a handful of women in the shade of the pavilion doing laundry in the basins scavenged from the game stands. Each woman had two basins, one for washing and one for rinsing. Beth stepped onto the concrete, plastering a smile upon her lips. "Hey," she smiled. "Mind if I help?" She asked.

All their gazes shifted from the laundry in their hands to Beth. Most of them were older, some of the a little older than Beth and some of them elderly. Despite that, they were all still staring at her. One of the elder ladies smiled a toothy grin and nodded. "Add it to the pile, darlin' and sit down over here," she patted the bench next to her.

Beth did as she was told, throwing her bag down on top of the pile and sat down to the lady. "I'm Martha," she greeted Beth as she beat a shirt against the washboard. Beth couldn't help but stare at the wrinkles on Martha's hands. It's been awhile since she's seen someone as old as her. "What's your name?" She asked.

"'M Beth," she said, staring out at the other women. Martha nodded and then proceeded to prattle of the names of the others. There was Delilah, Esther, Lainey and Kimber, all of them smiling and waving. So maybe they weren't as unfriendly as Beth originally thought.

After the introductions were over, Beth got to work with the laundry. She actually quite enjoyed working with the other woman. She could laugh, sing and tell stories. She wouldn't talk about her group from before just yet. She wasn't ready for that. But she did tell stories of when she was back at the farm before she had met the Atlanta survivors.

By the time they got to the last bag of laundry, Beth's fingers were pruned and permanently smelling of soap. They dumped their basins of water out onto the grass, hoping the help it grow before the winter hit. Beth cradled her stomach, the growls ripping out of it. Martha laughed and old laugh at Beth, Lainey and Delilah joining in. "Good thing it's time for lunch!" Martha poked fun.

Beth smiled. She was hungry. She wondered if Daryl was done with the dock or if he had a hard time fitting in with the other men. She also hoped that she would be seeing his face at the carousel. The launderers headed out across the gravel road back towards the heart of the park.

As they approached the carousel, Beth's hands had dried completely. The strong smell of deer meat greeted her sinuses and made her mouth water even more than it already was. She took her place at the back of the line behind Martha. It moved quickly, everyone eager to get to eating.

Beth piled up her plate with meat, vegetables and a heaping portion of potatoes. Her eyes combed the group searching for only one person. Then, she found him. He was sitting at an outer table with one other man and woman. Beth waded through the sea of tables and made her way over to Daryl.

He smiled up at her as she set her plate down and sat down on the bench. "How was buildin' the dock?" She asked. Daryl shrugged, his universal sign for 'it went well.' Beth then remembered her manners. She turned to the people sitting across from them. "I'm Beth," she stuck her hand out to them.

Alice took her hand first and then Will. "I'm Alice, this is Will, my husband," she smiled, taking a bite of her vegetables. Beth was eager to eat. She unwrapped her napkin from around her silverware and dug in.

"So what are we talkin' 'bout?" She asked through a mouthful of potatoes. She didn't mean to be rude, but she couldn't stand her hunger at the moment.

Will spoke up this time, clearing his throat with a sip of his water. "Oh, Daryl was just telling us about your father. Seems like a great man." Will had said something else, but the world had drifted away from Beth.

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**As you guess, Beth hadn't given herself time to come to terms with Hershel's death even if it was two years ago. Tell me how you think this is going to play out! (:**


	3. Together or Apart

Beth had stopped mid-chew, the fork halted halfway to her mouth. She felt the bile rising up the back of her throat, the acid burning her tongue. The fork fell from her hand, clattering to the table as she bolted away from Alice and Will and Daryl. They talked about her father in the present tense like he was still alive. They probably believed he was. Beth ran from the carousel, tears streaming down her face and blinding her.

She didn't care where she ended up she just needed to get away from the stares Alice and Will were giving her. She needed to get away from the memory of her father's head getting sliced off with Michonne's katana. Beth ran towards a more forested part of the park, the overgrown bushes and leaves whipping her face with fierce snaps. Finally, Beth dropped to her knees in the dirt.

Her fingers dug into the soft earth as she retched the little bit of food she had eaten. It wasn't much, but she continued to heave. Beth wiped away any traces of vomit from her mouth with the back of her hand just as different hands curled around her shoulders. She was about to whirl and yell at whomever it was to go away, but she remembered the feel of his calloused fingers and rough palms.

Daryl helped her stand, careful to avoid the bodily fluids she expelled. "I'm sorry," was all he said under her heavy stare. "I thought it would be easier to explain to them that we got separated from Hershel, not that he got beheaded," Daryl explained. Beth sniffled and wiped away her stray tears. She hated when Daryl had to see her cry, which wasn't often. Beth didn't like to let herself get _that _low.

She nodded then, understanding where he was coming from. She rubbed one of her shoulders, chiding herself for reacting so poorly. "'M sorry, too," Beth murmured, half-blushing. "I shouldn't a reacted like that. N' you shouldn't have come runnin' after me." She shook her head. She wasn't only disappointed in herself, she was embarrassed too.

Daryl had managed to make friends, good enough to sit with them and then she came and ruined it. Her blush intensified, burning her cheeks just thinking about Alice and Will sitting alone at the table. She probably came across as weird, unstable, even worse than their first impressions probably were before. It was Daryl's turn to shake his head. "You ain't got a reason to be sorry," he said, his eyes were even on Beth's. "I don't blame yah fer runnin'. But yah shoulda known I was gonna come after yah. I always do, don't I?"

Beth let out a small laugh as she wiped away the last of her tears. Somehow Daryl always found a way to make her feel better when she was feeling blue. "What're we gonna tell Alice and Will?" She asked. If Daryl had already told them that her father was alive, they couldn't change their story now. Beth waited as Daryl weighed his options.

Finally, he had come up with something. "It's simple," he said. "We say he was sick when we got split up n' we knew it was terminal," Daryl shrugged sympathetically. Beth digested their plan and eventually agreed to go along with it. "Yah ready to head back?" Beth nodded again, making sure all her tears were gone even though the redness and puffiness gave her away. She was never fond of the way she looked after a thorough crying session even before the walkers started showing up.

Daryl led the way back to the carousel, occasionally glancing back at Beth to make sure she was okay and still with reality. Will and Alice were talking with each other quietly when they returned. Alice planted a kind smile on her face as Beth sat down back in front of her plate. Neither of their meals had been touched. "Sorry 'bout that," Beth cracked a smile at the couple. "My father is a touchy subject."

Alice waved her hand through the air, dismissing her. "Hun, it's all right. You'll find em' one day," Alice said, placing her hand atop Beth's. She wasn't used to physical contact from someone else besides Daryl, but she allowed it just this once. Beth looked to Will, but shook her head, biting back the tears from resurfacing.

Telling a lie just made it all that harder to swallow them back down. "I don't think I will," Beth disagreed. Before Alice tried to cheer her up again, Beth continued. "He was sick before we got separated. We knew it was terminal. Without all of us there to take care of em', he's likely dead," she finished with a heavy sigh. Daryl's knee pressed against hers. He didn't want to hold her hand in front of Will and Alice just yet, but she needed some kind of reassurance.

Will cast his gaze towards what was left of his meal. "We're sorry 'bout your father," he finally said, speaking for both him and his wife. Alice nodded, patting her hand before taking it back. Beth nodded for her thanks but didn't say anything for the rest of their lunch. She ate her fill, but it wasn't enough to fill the void in her heart.

Daryl and Beth went their separate ways again with hopes to fit into the group more. He watched her disappear into the dispersing group of survivors. She was to stay behind and help wash up the dishes with Alice and the others. Beth was diving out into a big ocean, Daryl only hoped she wouldn't drown.

* * *

Daryl sat on top of the picnic table near the swimming pool. It was the rendezvous spot for the party leaving in just a few minutes. Half of the group was hunting for dinner and the other was running for supplies. Daryl elected to run for supplies this time. As he waited for the rest of the group's leaders to arrive, he fiddled with his crossbow. He made sure it was all in working condition and his arrows were sharp enough to pierce skulls if need be. One by one, the men that were going on the run started to show up. He had left Beth a note in the house that he'd be going and for her not to worry. He hated leaving her like this, especially with the mishap earlier, but he had to do what he had to do. Daryl would always return to her in the end.

With everyone rounded up for the run and split into their designated groups, they headed out through the pool entrance and quickly locked the gates behind them. They moved through the forest quietly, splitting off from the hunting group – the supply group consisted of five people including Daryl. The others included Roger, Peter, David and Sal. David was the youngest at only seventeen, but he was the group leader's son.

He almost reminded Daryl of Carl, but he didn't allow himself the thought. He couldn't afford to think like that when he was outside the confines of the fence. After about an hour of walking, the small group came to an outlet mall. Daryl took a deep breath before they started across the parking lot. He wanted to make it out of this unscathed as well as everyone with him. He didn't think he could handle going through something like that again even if he didn't know these people that well. It would tear him apart from the inside out.

* * *

Beth focused on the scrubby in her hand, the ring on her finger and the soap floating on the surface of the dishwater. She would think about anything but her father. What they were doing – pushing themselves to become a part of the group was supposed to help her and Daryl forget about the people they lost. But it only seemed to be doing the exact opposite.

The small ring on her forefinger glimmered in the dishwater. Beth had found it before her and Daryl had arrived at the park in a corner store. It was on a rotating kiosk at the check out counter. She wanted something to be proud of when she had nothing so she slipped it off its cardstock holder and placed it on her finger. It hasn't left its place since.

Beth's fingers were farther pruned than raisins from all the dishes she had gone through. The day seemed to go faster the more dishes she washed. She was almost mechanical. Dip, wash, rinse, and repeat. Alice sat beside her, silent. She knew she had done wrong by bringing up Beth's father, but the way Daryl had spoke about him made it sound like he was still alive.

Alice could see it on Beth's face that he was dead. That, she didn't have to question. Beth reached for another plate, but was met with emptiness. She had gone through all the dishes and silverware she had been dealt by Martha. She dried her hands off on a small hand towel and stalked off from the pavilion without another word. She didn't want to stick around and chat with these people.

The only person Beth wanted to talk to was Daryl, wherever he may be. Without thinking, Beth made her way back to their house only to find it empty. There was a note left on the pillow of her bed on crinkled paper. She dove onto her mattress, reading the wrinkled note Daryl had left her. In his scratchy, messy handwriting, he had told her that he was going out on a run and would only be returning later that night. Beth sighed, but folded the note and stuck it in her back pocket. Beth wouldn't be seeing him for a while, probably not until tomorrow morning.

Beth rooted through her bag of clean clothes, looking for a warmer jacket to wear. She found a thick flannel and slipped it over her cardigan, drawing the ends closer around her. She needed a walk even if she took one only yesterday. Beth stalked out of the house, heading towards the far corner of the park past the swimming pools and the tallest roller coaster. Beth trailed her fingers across the black metal bars of the fence, no walkers around her yet.

She loved these moments when she was completely alone. There were no walkers, no nothing. It was just Beth and her thoughts. She continued around the park's perimeter, gazing out around at the walkers off in the distance. She had walked about halfway around the park when she came to the swings. They would no longer fly around in a circle like they were supposed to, but they would suffice.

Beth lifted the lap bar of one of the swings and sat down, holding onto the chains as she began to move back and forth. She kept her eyes focused on the trees outside of the fence, the colors blurring together. She closed her eyes, letting the wind soothe her face. Overwhelmed with her thoughts, Beth slowed down, dragging her feet on the concrete below her. Beth abandoned her walk and headed back to the house.

Darkness had fallen by the time Beth made it back to her and Daryl's house. She didn't bother taking out her flashlight; she was close enough to make it in the dark. She knew she had missed the family dinner at the carousel and would have to eat some of the food she had saved. Beth swung open the door to find it still completely empty. Daryl hadn't returned yet.

It was eerie inside the house. It didn't feel like home without Daryl. Beth stalked over to his bed and rooted around in one of his spare bags. She found two sticks of beef jerky. It would have to do without Daryl bringing back game or going to the carousel. She unwrapped the pieces of meat and gnawed on them until she was full. With her dinner finished, Beth didn't know what else to do, not without Daryl around.

Sighing, Beth stripped off her clothes and threw them on her bed when she noticed one of Daryl's long-sleeved flannels on his own bed. She didn't think he would mind. Beth slipped on his shirt, the end of it reaching to her mid-thigh. It smelled like him – musky and woodsy. It smelled like her Daryl. Beth curled up on his bed, the homesickness taking over her.

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning when Daryl returned home. He was tired and weary from his day outside of the fences. He knew Beth would be sleeping, but she was the only person he wanted to see at the moment. Everyone wanted to go back to the carousel and share the case of beer they had found. It was tough for Daryl to turn down, but Beth was more important.

Daryl crept inside the dim house and lit the small lantern to not wake Beth. He looked to her bed but it was vacant. He shone the light towards his own bed to find her sleeping form there in one of his shirts. Daryl smiled ruefully at his companion. He knew she missed him because he had missed her as well.

Daryl toed off his boots and shrugged off his jacket and curled up next to Beth. He buried his face in her hair. It faintly smelled of lavender. Daryl closed his eyes and indulged himself in the smell of Beth. That's only when he realized he had found something for Beth while he was out on the run.

He remembered how much she loved her ring and how proud of it she was. Beth didn't own much jewelry. But when Daryl saw this lying in a glass jewelry counter, he couldn't resist himself. Daryl pulled the necklace out of his jean's pocket – it was an arrow hanging horizontally on a silver chain. Daryl unhooked the clasp and strung it around Beth's neck gently and clasped it. It hung just above her breasts. Now, whenever they were apart, Daryl would still be close to her heart.

* * *

**I'm having so much fun writing this story. Where do you think it's going to go? & what do you think happened out on the run besides Daryl finding the necklace? Reviews make this story update faster! I love to know what you guys think. I read them all!**


	4. The Gift of Death

**You guys are literally amazing. Over 20 reviews on the last chapter?! I couldn't ask for anything more! I love that you're all enjoying this story so much. But as you asked, there might be a little bit of drama in this chapter (;**

* * *

In the morning, Beth rose slowly, smiling at the arm draped over her stomach. Daryl had returned home safe and sound. He was still sleeping, eyelashes fanned out over his high cheekbones. He looked so much younger when he was asleep. It was a rare moment that Beth ever got to see Daryl sleeping. He always liked to rise early, hunt sometimes, and cook breakfast on others. The day outside the fence must have taken a lot out of him.

She realized now that she was still wearing Daryl's shirt. Never before had she gone to bed in one of his flannels. She blushed even thinking about it. Beth wondered what Daryl must have thought about it when he returned home. She then became aware of the cold weight against her chest. She hadn't felt something that familiar since she lost her favorite heart shaped pendant. It had gotten ripped off during a horde attack.

Beth's fingers found the charm lying just above her cleavage. It was an arrow. She closed her fist around it and her eyes fell shut. Moments like these, she couldn't help but feel love for Daryl. He went out of his way to find this necklace for her. He would never know how much it meant to her. If only she could find a way to return the favor. The only thing Beth ever does for Daryl is his laundry. If it weren't for her, it would never get done.

Not wanting to wake up the sleeping Dixon, Beth slipped out from underneath his arm. Except for the fact that Daryl was indeed already awake. He had been lying, waiting for Beth to wake and discover the necklace strung around her neck. He wanted to see her face the first time she saw it. When she blushed about something blooming inside her head, he decided to feign sleep and only peek at her.

Beth stalked over to her own bed, unbuttoning the long flannel on her body as she went. She planned on stuffing it into the bottom of the laundry bag, hoping that Daryl would forget about it and not have to ask her about it. Daryl still watched even as the shirt fell from her body, pooling around her feet. She was left in her bra and underwear. He tried not to suck in a breath, but it was hard. The sight of her was beautiful.

She had an hourglass shape, thinner than he would like, but he couldn't do much about that except hunt more. She was tall and lean, the memories of the teenager lost in her newfound curves. Daryl squeezed his eyes shut. He shouldn't be thinking those thoughts. This was Beth Greene. Hershel's daughter. Maggie's sister. He tried to burn the image of the half-naked blonde from his sight, but it wouldn't leave.

When he heard the zipper of her jeans and the pull of her shirt, Daryl opened his eyes again. She was fully dressed now in a light sweater, jeans and her cowboy boots. He watched as she picked his shirt off the ground and shoved it into the bottom of the dirty laundry bag. He wanted to smirk and poke fun at her, but that would mean she knew he was watching and awake. He'd leave her alone for now.

Daryl then decided it was time to wake up. He stretched, rolling over and groaning to let Beth know that he was awake. She quick tossed the laundry bag to the foot of her bed. "Mornin' sunshine," she teased, sitting down on her own bed.

"Yeah, yeah," Daryl said, sitting up and rubbing his face free of sleep. "Sunshine my ass."

Subconsciously, Beth's fingers wound around the necklace. "Thanks for the necklace, Daryl," she blushed, wringing her fingers together. He shrugged his shoulders. And that was all that was said about the necklace. "I'll let you get dressed," Beth said, backing out of the doorway. "I'm gonna be out all day, mostly. I'm helping to make a quilt for Charlotte. She's going to pass any day now and they want to make her comfortable," Beth said. She held his gaze for a moment longer before leaving the house without breakfast.

* * *

Charlotte was an elderly woman in the park. She was close to hitting eighty. It's a miracle that she survived this long in the apocalypse, but her children and grandchildren had kept her safe all this time. But now it was soon her time to go. Alice and Martha had told Beth about the quilt that they were making. They were using up scraps of any leftover fabric or old shirts to make the blanket. Make it personal, make it comfortable.

Beth made her way to the party pavilions, the knife she always kept with her bouncing against her thigh. Though the air was chilly around her, the sun still beat down through the clouds. She was thankful for the shade that the pavilion provided. When she arrived, both Martha and Alice were there, along with Lainey, Delilah, Esther and Kimber.

There were cardboard boxes strewn about the table with swatches of cloth pouring out of them. There were some pretty, bright patterns and others were downright boring. "Mornin' Beth," Martha greeted her with a goofy grin. There was chorus of greetings from the others. Beth took her seat amongst the group, delving into the box of fabric in front of her.

Beth had done some sewing recently, patching up the holes in Daryl's jeans. Martha handed over the needle, thread and thimble. All she had to do was sew the edges of two squares together and they would all be sewn together when they were finished. Beth picked out a happy, bright floral swatch of fabric and grabbed the scissors. She cut it as close as she could to the size of a square before grabbing another piece of fabric. This one was bright yellow with faded white pinstripes.

She repeated the same steps before starting to sew the edges of the two squares together. After about an hour, Beth had sewn together three sets of squares, all of them bright and beautiful. Martha was telling stories from her childhood. Kimber joined in, telling funny stories of her kids and her husband. Beth was astounded how they could talk about these people and not cry.

If she were to try and tell stories about Judith or Carl, she'd break down in tears. She couldn't tell any stories from her time living at the farm because they all consisted memories of Maggie and Hershel and Jimmy. She could try and tell stories from elementary school, but she could barely remember those days anymore.

A little while later, when everyone had finished their sets of squares, they laid them out to construct the quilt. It was bright, happy. If Beth stayed in the park until she was old enough to die from old age, she wanted one of these quilts made for her. Martha lowered herself onto her knees as she started to sew the squares all together.

When it was finished, Martha held it up with Beth, the blanket strung out between them. The group of ladies gazed at it, sighing. They loved that they made it, but for such a sad occasion. Martha would be delivering it to the game stand that Charlotte's family was living in. She asked if Beth wanted to tag along to give it to her, but she declined. Beth didn't think she could handle seeing the old woman wilting away to nothing.

* * *

Daryl watched as Beth backed out of the room, an indifferent look in her eyes. He wished he had said something, but it was too late, she was gone. Huffing, Daryl hauled himself off his bed, shucking off his dirty clothing and pulled on a clean outfit. Beth had done the laundry the day before and he could tell. His clothes smelled good, but not as good as how Beth smelled herself.

He tied on his boots, threw his crossbow over his shoulder and headed out the door. He could see Beth off in the distance, making her way to wherever the women were meeting. He was half-tempted to follow her, but he had his own business to attend to. Daryl was invited to help make lunch last night when the other group bagged two deer and a handful of squirrels. Others were out fishing now off the newly built dock.

Some of the men had been up early this morning; scavenging for berries and other vegetables they had saved. This was something he was good at. He had gutted many deer in his life before and after the apocalypse. Daryl swore up and down that he wouldn't lead this new group, but the least he could do was to help contribute to feed them.

Daryl crossed the park, making his way to the unused bathhouse near the water slides. It was the only place they could think of to hang up the deer without attracting too many walkers outside the fences. The other shower house was used for actual showers. Somehow the electricity and water still worked throughout the park. Still, they used it in moderation.

Upon walking into the bathhouse, the metallic smell of blood flooded his sinuses. He wrinkled his nose; though he was used to the smell by now, it would never cease to shock him upon the first whiff. The two deer were hung up on hooks in the middle of two of the showers, the blood draining out of them.

Will and his son were the only two people in the bathhouse besides Daryl. Will had told him last night that not very many people like to drain, gut the deer. But they would have no problem grilling them into steaks to eat… Daryl was trying not to judge them too harshly. Both of the deer were already gutted, the rest of the blood was now draining out of them.

Christopher smiled at him as Daryl approached, catching Will's attention. "Sorry we started earlier than expected," he shrugged. "I wanted Christopher to get a real feel for it." Christopher surely had. His arms were drenched up to his elbows in blood matching the likes of his father's arms as well.

Daryl shrugged. "S'all right," he said.

"There's still some squirrels left if yah wanna do those," Will suggested to a table set up off to the side of the room. Squirrels were laid out across it, a hunting knife lying beside them. The small mammal and Daryl went way back. He could skin and clean them out in his sleep.

He propped his crossbow up against the leg of the table and went to work on the squirrels. As the minutes went by, the pile of fur and skins had grown as Daryl worked. Within ten minutes, Daryl had finished off all the squirrels while Will and Christopher collected the meat from the deer. Daryl leaned against the edge of the table, watching them as they worked.

He noted a few things that they could work on to get the maximum amount of meat from the animals, but he would keep them secret until next time when it wasn't Christopher's first time. After about an hour, both deer were just carcasses. Daryl helped Will and his son haul the meat outside to the camping area where there were grills planted into the ground. More of them men started milling about, willing to help with the grilling rather than the gutting.

Daryl took one of his own grills for the squirrel meat. Over the years, he had perfected the perfect squirrel. It would have helped if they had seasoning and other things, but he would have to deal with what they had. He flipped the mammals with one of his arrows, poking it and rolling it over. Will appeared at his side. "Those are lookin' good. What'd you do before the shit hit the fan?" He asked, squinting at Daryl.

He shrugged. "Nothin' much. Mechanic mostly, but I went huntin' for most of my meals." He wasn't going to lie to Will, but he wasn't going to tell him that his brother brought in most of the winnings being a drug dealer and all. "What 'bout you?" He asked, remembering his manners, though he could really care less about what Will did.

"Car salesman," Will laughed. "Alice was a secretary n' Christopher was barely out of high school when they dead started poppin' up," he said, gazing at his son. "I'd give anythin' for him to have grown up into a real man in the real world."

Daryl nodded, agreeing. He thought the same thing about Beth. She was only sixteen when the infection hit. He always wondered what kind of person she would have grown up to been if the apocalypse never happened. Somehow he liked to think she'd be the exact same person, but he didn't think that'd be true. Daryl catered to his meat as Will retold the story of how he found the park group.

It was a long, drawn out story with too many details for Daryl to pay attention. He caught the gist of it, thinking a group of the survivors were walkers and almost shot them and lost his chance of finding this place. It was almost similar to his and Beth's story, but the group found them. If it were up to him, they would still be out on their own. It is still hard to trust people after the Governor.

Daryl turned the meat over once more before taking it off and placing it onto a platter, next to some of the deer meat that was already finished. Once all the meat was finished, Daryl and the other guys were going to take it up to the carousel and set it out for the lunchtime meeting. He couldn't wait to see Beth. He had made one of the squirrels just the way she liked it – burnt to a crisp. He thought she was insane, but that was how she liked it.

Just as the last slab of meat was being taken off the grill, the screams pierced the air. Spatulas and tongs clattered to plates, all the men frozen in fear. It was children's screams. Across the camping field, along the fence, he could see children fleeing when earlier they were playing happily. Daryl's eyes flitted along the fence, looking for what was the matter.

Until he saw it. One of the gates was hanging wide open. Walkers were spilling into the park heading towards the party pavilions and the main part of the park. "Walkers!" A voice called out from far away. More screams started to fill the air, riling up the walkers outside of the fence. Daryl knew most of the people in the park weren't armed. This was bad. Daryl grabbed his crossbow, leaving the group of men in sprint across the field, his last thoughts of Beth and hoping she was still alive.

* * *

**Like Beth and Daryl thought, never trust the fences. I'd love to hear your predictions on what's to happen! Reviews make this story come faster!**


	5. Abandoned

**Thank you for all your kind words on the last chapter! You guys make me want to write this story so much faster! I had a lot of ideas on how I could have gone with this chapter, but I chose the one I think fits best. Leave a review please!**

* * *

Beth was packing away the scraps of fabric neatly inside one of the cardboard boxes when she heard the screams ripple through the air. Dread sent shivers racing down her arms. It only brought back memories of what happened at the prison years ago. The quilting women dropped what they were doing, their heads snapping in the direction of the pleas of help. People were flooding through the pavilion, running away or towards something, Beth couldn't distinguish.

She abandoned her work at the table and unsheathed her knife, holding it defensively out in front of her. "What is it?" She asked, grabbing one of the men running by her. She fisted her hand in his jacket, jerking him to a halt desperately. "What's wrong?"

"Walkers. They got through the fence," he said, his eyes looking anywhere but her face. He then wrenched his arm from her grip and took off with the rest of the people fleeing from the scene. Beth's thoughts raced to Daryl. She knew he would have his crossbow with him… but what about the rest of the people in the park? Beth and Daryl would be the only ones to have weapons on their person.

Beth looked back to the tables she had been working at. None of her fellow quilt makers were still there. Alice and Martha were gone. They fled, looking for their own families, their children, hoping they were still alive. They would have to get this under control and fast. And then Beth was moving in the opposite direction from which the people were running. Her knife sliced through the air as she ran, careful not to knick anyone that was still living.

She zigzagged through the maze of trees, bumping shoulders and dodging rugged men. Another scream rang out, burning her ears. It was close. That's when she saw the walker tackle a woman she didn't know. At least she was relieved that the walker that had tackled her was long changed and didn't belong to the amusement park survivors. Beth shot forward towards the two wrestling on the ground. The woman's jaw worked open and close, yearning to bite into the girl's neck.

Before that could happen, Beth grabbed the collar of the dead woman's shirt and hauled her off the scrambling woman. She screamed when the weight left her and ran off before she could see Beth complete the deed of putting her down. Beth wasted no time plunging her knife through the woman's thick skull, spraying her face with a fine, crimson mist. She shoved the limp body away and continued on.

"Daryl?" She called out, wandering aimlessly. She kept her eyes out for him and the walkers. That was the only people she really cared about. "Daryl!" She exclaimed again only for it to go unanswered. She swiped sweated hair off her forehead before darting forward again. The throng of people had died down and the only people left were the shambling dead.

There were five of them, all spread out entering the sparse covering of trees that Beth was hiding in. She pressed her back to the rough bark of the tree, her face angled to the side, her senses on overdrive. The only way she was going to get through this was the element of surprise. Being on the run for two years with Daryl, she had learned a thing or two about how to kill walkers.

Beth tried to keep her breathing even – that was one of the most important things Daryl told her to control. She had to stay calm, she couldn't panic. Panicking would mean she would die. Feeling her heart rate decline, Beth peeked around the tree, searching for the walkers surrounding her. There was one close. A woman with stringy hair and half her jaw missing.

Her grip tightening on her knife, Beth shot forward, catching the woman's shoulder and sinking her knife deep into her skull. She let the woman drop where she was before darting behind another tree closer to another approaching walker. One by one, Beth took down the wandering dead, plunging her knife into each of their skulls. Beth wiped away the blood that was now dripping down her face, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

It had been awhile since she had to kill walkers, but she never would forget how to do it. Beth ran forward again, still hearing screams off in the distance. She needed to make it across the field towards the waterslides where the screams were originating. She vaguely wandered if Daryl was anywhere in the vicinity of where she was headed. Or that if he was still alive. When people panicked, they went crazy. They almost trampled Beth on her way there. It was almost like they were experiencing the beginning of the apocalypse for the first time all over again.

As Beth broke out of the small cluster of trees, she could see the waterslides peeking out through the tree line. She picked up her pace, hoping to pick up the pieces as fast as she could before the whole park was turned. She crossed the picnic field quickly, no walkers in sight until she was in the cover of the trees again. Before she could go any farther, she felt hands rake down her back, catching on her sweater.

The hands drug her down to the ground, the walker falling on top of her. Beth scrambled to get a better angle, to be able to use her knife effectively, but she was struggling. The man was much heavier than she was, crushing the air out of her lungs. His teeth dripped with fresh blood and Beth shivered at just thought of this man biting into someone else.

Before Beth could react, the man was being kicked off of her. His head snapped at an odd angle, his hisses and growls never ceasing. Beth shoved him off of her body as Alice stomped his head in. She gasped as Alice held her hand out to Beth who graciously took it and scrambled to her feet. "Thanks," Beth said. She was surprised that Alice was that brutal with the walkers.

Alice nodded once before waving Beth on. "C'mon," she said. "The gate is open down here. We need to get it closed," she said, grabbing ahold of Beth's hand and towing her away. Beth let Alice lead her to wherever the worst of it was. When they arrived to where the breach was, Beth gasped. Blood spotting the ground everywhere along with a dozen of put down walkers.

Beth's eyes frantically searched the immediate area for any sign of Daryl. There were pocket of men still fighting, trying to get the gate closed to control the flow, but they were struggling. "Daryl!" Beth called out, hoping to hear a reply but she heard nothing but the growing growl of the walkers. And that's when she spotted it. It was Daryl's crossbow – abandoned in the grass.

* * *

"Daryl!" He had heard the familiar sound of her voice ripple through the air. He wanted to call to her, to tell her that he was all right, just in a sticky situation, but he couldn't now. He couldn't draw any attention to him or the children he was helping escape. He was just happy that Beth was still alive. It didn't sound like she was hurt and that was all he needed to keep going.

When Daryl arrived at the fence to help, the children crowded behind him, scared out of their minds. They clung to his jeans, crying tears into the worn denim. Daryl tried to ignore them as he took out the walkers with his arrows, but it was difficult. They cried for him to take them away from there.

Images of Sophia flashed in his mind, the pain and fear coming along with it. He couldn't leave them go on their own, but he couldn't keep them in the line of fire either. One of the kids tugged on his arm, the crossbow falling from his grasp. "Come on!" The young boy whined, tugging on his vest.

Daryl growled low in his throat, but ushered the kids away from the breach in the fence. His sights were set on the waterslides. More people were arriving with whatever weapons they could scavenge up, Daryl could help the kids quickly and come back to clean up the mess. He rushed the kids towards the steps of the waterslides. "Go all the way to the top," he said, pushing them forward silently. He didn't want any of the walkers to be pursuing them.

The kids started up the steps, their tiny feet pounding against the weathered wood. "Stick together," he called before turning and running back towards the sight of the massacre. He had run into two walkers on the way back, easily taking them out with a stomp to the head. He needed to get back to his crossbow, he felt naked without it. Picking up his pace, he hurried back to the open gate.

More people had arrived with their choice of weapons, fighting back the steady stream trying to wriggle their way through the small gap in the fence. It was chaos. "Beth!" He called out. Daryl knew she was around and he wanted her close. His crossbow wasn't in the same spot he left it. In fact, he couldn't see it anywhere on the ground around him. He called out Beth's name again, waiting for her reply.

But if she did reply, it would be lost in the drone of walker growls. He searched the line of the fence for the familiar blonde. He saw the flash of hair and dread prickled his scalp. She was with Alice, pushing on the gate of the fence, trying to close the gate and cut off the stream of walkers. His crossbow was strung across her back. He hated for her to be the one to find it. She probably thought he was dead.

The walkers reached through the fence towards the two ladies, their faces pressed up against the black bars, teeth cakes with dried blood and flesh. They had gotten the gate half closed before the walkers started to pile up against it and pushed back. Some of the dead were still slipping through, ignoring the women on the other side of the gate and going for the other survivors.

The scene seemed to play out in slow motion for Daryl until he snapped back into reality. The screams slammed back into him as he darted forward. He needed to help Beth and Alice get the gate closed. He ditched around walkers, elbowing some of them in the back of their shoulders as he passed so they would slam into the ground. The longer it took for them to get to someone, the longer someone could live.

Finally, he made it to the gate, pressing in between Alice and Beth. "Daryl?" Beth asked, her voice incredulous. He just nodded, wrapping his fingers around the metal bars and pushing harder. With the help of Daryl, the three of them could get the gate closed and locked. Before he had time to react, Beth threw herself at Daryl. She didn't care if there were still walkers around and dangerous. She thought he was dead.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face into the crook of his shoulder. Daryl wrapped his arms around her and awkwardly around the crossbow. "S'all right," he cooed. She pulled back, wiping away a stray tear of joy. "Hand that over," he jerked his head towards the crossbow. Beth laughed slightly and sloughed it off her shoulder, handing it back to its rightful owner.

"Now, let's clean up this mess," Alice said, sneering towards the walkers. Beth unsheathed her knife again, her shoulder brushing against Daryl's. He took out his own knife, handing it over to Alice who was otherwise weaponless. With one last nod, the trio headed towards the small mob of walkers that had slipped through the gate.

As Daryl went along, he collected his spent arrows from earlier and added them to his collection. Within a matter of minutes, all the walkers had been disposed of. Blood painted the ground in a morbid masterpiece. Survivors were drenched in sweat and tears. They had lost people. But it could have been worse.

A silence fell over the remaining survivors still in the area. The only wound was of the walkers still reaching through the fence missing out on the party. Beth kept her gaze on the ground, not wanting to look at anybody. Both her and Daryl knew this would happen one day. "We didn't mean to," someone sniffed, the tears cracking their voice.

Beth and Daryl turned to see the children, linked hands and tear stained cheeks. Alice crooked an eyebrow. "Didn't mean to do what?" She asked nicely. Guilt was ridden all over the young children's faces.

"It was just a dare," the little boy cried. "I told Lisa to open the gate for just ten seconds and I wouldn't pick on her anymore. I didn't think anything would happen!" He wept, tearing his hand from the girl beside him.

Beth glanced to Daryl, meeting his eyes. All this happened because of dare between the kids. People lost their lives because these children hadn't been exposed to life outside the park fences. She wanted to shake her head and scream at the world, but she couldn't. Alice rushed forward, taking the little boy in her arms. She whispered something in his ear before taking his hand and the other girl's hands in her other and stalking off, probably to find their parents if they were still alive.

With Alice gone, Daryl turned to the rest of the men milling around. "Collect the bodies," he instructed. "N' burn em'," he said, his voice void of any emotion. He stalked off without another word, Beth following behind him instinctively. She could feel the anger pulsing off of him. They headed past the bathhouse used for gutting and draining the deer. Beth caught sight of the feast they were preparing for lunch. But Beth would have to ignore the growing hunger pains in her stomach. All the meat had gone cold.

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**Expect a cute scene between Beth and Daryl in the next chapter! Can't wait to see how you guys liked the chapter! **


	6. Everyone Dies

**You guys are the most amazing people ever! You keep the reviews coming days after I posted the chapter. I can't thank you enough for supporting this story. But holy shit, that episode on Sunday?! What did you guys think?! I was waiting for Daryl just to grab her face and kiss the shit out of her. Anyway, I did a whole lot of brainstorming on this story and I have it all planned out (: It might turn out quite long... Not that that's a bad thing! Enjoy the chapter and don't forget to leave a review (:**

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Daryl had to get away. He had to get away from the people around him and the children who so carelessly opened the gate for a _dare. _He thought back to Sophia, Carl, Lizzie and Mika. They would never have pulled something like that. They would never had compromised the health of the group to have some fun. He knew Beth would follow; he didn't have to say anything to her.

He could hear her footfalls behind him as he came closer to the house. He couldn't stand to look at Beth. When he first laid eyes upon her, her face bloodied and scared, he thought she had been bitten. He didn't want to see her hurt anymore. Daryl didn't think he'd be able to handle it. He had lost too much already; he wouldn't be able to fathom losing Beth after everything he had gone through. She was the last thing tying him to the prison. She was his last reminder of the life he used to have.

Daryl broke inside the house, flinging the door aside. Beth followed quietly behind, catching the door before it knocked into her. She latched it smoothly and turned to face him. She could feel the emotion radiating off of him, yet she wasn't scared. Beth could never be scared of Daryl. He was facing away from her – his hands balled at his sides. She tried to think of something to say, but nothing came. It was best to let him open up on his own time.

Slowly, Daryl turned around to face Beth. Her bloodied face still shocked him each time he caught sight of it. More than that, it angered him that it was him and Beth that had to do most of the work. If the rest of the park carried weapons, Beth wouldn't had to put herself in immediate danger. Though, he loved her so for doing so and being selfless – he couldn't imagine losing her.

He held her blue, wary gaze, speechless. Sighing, his hand moved to his back pocket where his red bandana hung out. "C'mere," he said quietly. Beth complied, approaching him as he folded the ragged, old handkerchief into a square. She sat down on her bed as Daryl kneeled in front of her. "I hate seeing yah like this," he murmured, his gaze dropping to the rag in his hand.

He raised the handkerchief up to her face and began to wipe away the drying blood from her face. Beth kept her gaze even on his as he dabbed at the blood on her face. "Yah know, when I found your crossbow, I couldn't help but think –"

"Stop," Daryl half-growled, his hand pausing against her temple. He didn't want to hear her say it. Those words would be his undoing. Beth took a deep breath, letting her eyes flutter close as Daryl continued to wash her face clean. His strokes were slow and smooth. He wanted to make sure he got every trace of crimson. Beth peeked out from under her eyelashes.

She couldn't let herself think like that. This was Daryl. He had survived through so much during the two years they had been alone together. He had to deal with Beth twisting her ankle, being barely able to walk. He had to suffer through Beth's PMSing days. And he had to pull through his own episode of dehydration. If Daryl was going to die any time soon, it wouldn't be from a zombie. And if it was, he would die saving someone else.

Beth squeezed her eyes shut tighter. She hated having to think about things like that. "What're we gonna do, Daryl?" Beth whispered. "People died today. All because those kids were daring each other to open the gate for just a few seconds." She shook her head, glancing to Daryl. His eyes were fierce and angry. She knew he was feeling the same was she was.

"We could leave," he said, his hand dropping to his knees. The hurt flashed onto his face. Beth wanted to cup his face, to comfort him, to tell him everything would be all right. They both survived the day and that was an accomplishment in and of itself.

But Beth shook her head. "N' go where? Go back to scavengin' through Wal-Marts n' grocery stores? That's no life, Daryl," Beth told him. "At least here we got some kinda safety from walkers." Daryl nodded. He didn't want to admit it, but Beth was right. They couldn't leave this place. Not if they wanted a chance at a real life worth living during the apocalypse.

Daryl sighed, his fingers pulling at the frayed edges of his handkerchief. He had told himself over and over again that he wouldn't become the leader of any group he came across. But now, he was struggling. He knew it was the right thing to do. He knew he could whip this group into shape in no time. But he didn't want to take that upon himself. Not again.

Beth reached forward, taking the bandana from his hand. She hated to see him fidget. She raised it to his face and wiped away some of his own blood spatter across the scruff of his chin. "I know what you're thinkin'," Beth told him. "You're not gonna lose these people. Not after what happened today." Her hand fell to his knee, cupping it slightly.

"N' what if I do?" He asked roughly. He didn't want to have to think about it. He didn't want the images of their dying faces to flash in his mind. He didn't want to have to image what they looked like when they turned into a walker.

Beth cracked a small smile. "Everyone dies, Daryl. We'll never be ready for it. But we just gotta… accept it." She would never lie to Daryl. And she wasn't going to give him a face sense of security. That was just bullshit and she wasn't going to sell that to him. Daryl took a deep breath and nodded. He took the bandana back from Beth and tucked it back into his pocket where it belonged.

He stood, offering the blonde his hand. "Let's go help the others," he supposed. If they were going to become a bigger part of this society, he would have to treat the dead like their own. Together, they made their way outside of the house and back outside into the sun. It was still midafternoon and the stench of smoke and burning flesh hung heavy in the air.

They had already started to burn the bodies. At least Daryl knew that they could follow directions relatively easy. They walked to the field where the flames seemed to lick the sky. There were a few people still around gazing into the deep fire, watching the bodies of their loved ones burn. It wasn't a lot, but it was still a loss. As they approached, they could hear the cries and sniffles of mourning.

Beth wished she could cover her ears, to never hear those sounds again, but she wouldn't. She had to accept it like she told Daryl. She had to accept that people died. Especially in this world, people weren't going to be around forever. As they approached, Beth let her eyes wander anywhere but the burning bonfire. Then her heart was almost ripped out of her chest.

The cries and small screams had come from Alice. Both her and Will were crouched over a lifeless body on the ground near the fire. It was Christopher. He had been bitten during the attack. Beth felt the tears well up in her eyes as they came closer. Without another thought, Beth reached for Daryl's hand, entwining her fingers in the spaces between his. He gave her a light squeeze. They would be strong for each other.

"Alice," Beth crooned, her voice cracking, walking up to her slowly. The mother was cradling her son's face between her hands, her brackish tears falling onto his pale cheeks. Alice didn't dare to look up at Beth. She wanted every last possible moment she could get with Christopher. Will had backed off, leaving the two of them together. He sat back on his heels, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. He tried to remember the last time he saw his son alive. That was the memory he wanted to keep, not the one of him postmortem.

Even though Alice wouldn't tear her gaze from her son, she still answered Beth. "I can't do it," she wept. She shook her head, blonde hair falling around her face from her ponytail. "I can't," she whispered over again. That's when Beth noticed the knife cradled in the grass beside her. Dread rippled down her spine. They hadn't put down Christopher yet. He could change at any moment.

Daryl glanced to Beth, but she didn't return his gaze. "Alice, you have to," she said. "He could turn in your arms. It'll only be more painful for you," Beth said, dropping her hand from Daryl's. She knelt down beside Alice and Christopher, plucking the knife out of the grass. She gently tugged Alice's hand from her son's face and pressed the handle of the knife into her palm. For the first time, Alice looked at Beth.

Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy from endless crying. She shook her head, her hand trembling equally as much. Beth was only half-surprised that the thought never crossed Alice's mind that she would never have to put down her own child. Beth nodded. "He'll be in a better place," Beth nudged her. She wanted to make this as painless as she could for Alice and Will.

But they were running out of time, no matter how long it took for Christopher to change. Sniffing once more and wiping away a stray tear, Alice moved the knife to her son's temple, pressing the tip into his delicate, chilling skin. Another deep breath and she plunged the blade through his skull. The deed was done. She extracted the blade and let the knife fall from her palm. Beth was proud, even though she didn't want to be. She wished it was a different reason to be proud of, not for killing her son.

Alice fell into Beth's arms, crying into her sweater. She wrapped her arms around Alice's shaking frame, cradling her head into the crook of her neck. Beth met Daryl's eyes, pleading for him to drag Christopher into the fire. Alice and Will had already said their goodbyes in their own way, there was no reason to keep the pain around any longer.

He nodded once, understanding her pleading gaze. Beth made sure Alice wasn't watching as Daryl tugged on Christopher's ankles, dragging him closer to the fire. He dropped his crossbow to the ground before reaching down underneath the boy's arms and heaving him upwards. With one last look at Beth, he let Christopher fall into the heat of the flames, sending embers flying up into the sky as his last goodbye.

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Daryl and Beth sat together at one of the tables underneath the shelter of the carousel. There was only a handful of people around, most of the park's occupants opting to stay home. The sun was approaching the horizon, setting the sky in soft orange color. Beth liked to think that Christopher painted the sky himself. With all the meat from the deer gone bad earlier, Daryl took it upon himself to go outside of the fences and bag two squirrels, one for him and one for Beth.

The others had scrounged up some things for themselves. Beth startled as the timed bulb lights flickered on around the roof of the carousel, illuminating the dimming light. As she chewed, Beth wondered what Alice and Will were doing. The last thing she wanted was for them to become distant and unattached like she had.

After the day's events, Beth wasn't too hungry, but she knew she had to eat. She was already too thin for her or Daryl's liking so she ate it anyway. "Beth?" Daryl asked as he cleared his mouth. He always liked to remember his manners around her. She hummed, licking her lips clean. "I think yah should talk to those kids tomorrow." Beth nodded, digesting her food and information he told her. It was true that she rather do it than him.

"I will. I was thinkin' that I could show some of the women how ta use some weapons, whattayah think?" It wouldn't hurt for Beth to share her knowledge that Daryl had taught her. If anything like this were to happen again, maybe she could help minimalize the casualties. Daryl nodded, agreeing with her spoken thoughts.

"It'd be good. I'd help with the guys, but…" he trailed off. Beth giggled. She understood. Men were territorial. They didn't like other men telling them what to do. "Maybe I'll take a group out. Make up for the feast that went to waste." He was actually looking forward to having deer. Then an idea bloomed in his head. "Actually, I might take all the meat out far in the woods, string it up in a tree to keep the walkers away."

Beth's eyes were weary. "Daryl, that's a death wish. All that rotting meat. Yah better get it strung up quick or you'll be swarmed." She felt fear for him, thinking of him putting himself in deliberate danger for the better of the group. But that was exactly who he was. He cared about other people more than he cared about himself.

He nodded, understanding what she was telling him. "With other people it shouldn't take too long. I'll be careful, yah don't gotta worry, Beth," he smirked at her, knowing that his words were going to waste. She would worry anyway like she always did. He wiped his hands off on his jeans before nudging her shoulder. "Let's get back and get some peace n' quiet."

Beth wasn't opposed to his idea. After everything that happened in the day, she was dead tired. Her muscles ached and her calves burned. They discarded the leftovers of their meal and walked off into the night together.

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**So did you like the chapter? Hopefully Christopher's death was a little bit of a shock for yah. How do you think Alice and Will will recover? Tell me in a review! Also, you can find me on tumblr: vintagetidess! Come say hi (:**


	7. How Our Scars Remind Us

**Sorry for taking so long to update! I actually spent some time in the emergency room and I was feeling really sick so I didn't do any writing. But, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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In the morning, Daryl made a quick breakfast of porridge for him and Beth. They ate it rather quickly, their hunger getting the best of them. They were both going their separate ways again. Beth was nervous. The last time they parted, she thought he had died and Daryl thought she had been bitten. She never wanted to feel like that again. It felt like her heart was being squeezed by a boa constrictor. After two nights of sleeping together, they slept in separate beds.

It took awhile for Beth to finally fall asleep. She had grown so accustomed to the weight of Daryl's arm draped over her stomach and the warmth he brought. Her light blanket wasn't going to cut it for the approaching winter. Like always, Daryl had awoken first and jostled Beth awake slightly. Old habits die hard.

As she got dressed, he started breakfast for the big day ahead of both of them. Daryl was to head out with a few others to string up the rotting deer meat far out in the forest and Beth was going to give a pep talk to the kids and teach the women how to use weapons. Beth tied her hair up into a ponytail as Daryl counted his arrows. With her hair situated, they both headed out towards the carousel.

The usual crowd was there – Alice and Will, Martha and the quilting ladies and some of the hunting men. Daryl stepped up onto the platform, turning back to talk to Beth. "I'll see yah later, okay? If I don't see yah before we leave, this is goodbye." He held her gaze, gauging her reaction. This wasn't the first time he was going far out of the safety of the fences, but this time was different. He was taking all the rotting meat from the night before with him. It was going to attract a crowd of walkers. It wasn't a job he could do alone.

Beth took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears at bay. She finally nodded. "Yah stay safe, all right? I'll see yah for dinner," she promised. Daryl gave her one of his signature half-smiles and they parted ways without another look.

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Daryl made his way through the tables towards Will. He wouldn't talk to him about Christopher or even about what happened yesterday. He'd just ask for his help. It'd be a nice thing to get his mind off of the pain. "Hey, Will," Daryl called as he approached. Will met Daryl's gaze, looking up from his meal. He crooked an eyebrow, signaling for Daryl to continue. "I was thinkin' maybe we could take all that rottin' meat out far in the woods n' string it up as bait for the walkers."

Will finished what he was chewing before answering. "Sounds like a plan," he said, taking another bite out of his toast. Daryl thought he was handling the situation well. He nodded and went to ask the others if they wanted to tag along. The more people he had going with the better.

By the end of his rounds, Daryl had a group of seven people wiling to go with him out into the forest. Roger, Peter, David and Sal all elected to go with again – they liked to get out of the fences as much as they could. Will was going with and two other new recruits had volunteered to go along; Lucas and a man named Skeez. No one knew exactly how Skeez had gotten his nickname and no one wanted to ask. Nevertheless, he would be going along.

Once everyone had finished their breakfast, they had all headed down towards the bathhouse where the meat was still sitting. A few squirrels had come across it and ate some chunks, but it was otherwise left alone. The stench was becoming revolting and had grown a small crowd of walkers on the other side of the fence. "Can someone take care a' those?" Daryl jutted his chin towards the dead.

A collective glance was shared between the group before David sighed and stalked over to the fence, unsheathing his knife. It was small, only a two inch blade. Daryl wanted to roll his eyes, but resisted for the time being. David quickly disposed of the small group of walkers and returned to the group to assess the situation of the meat. "How're we gonna get it up in a tree?" Sal asked, scratching his head.

"That's easy," Will countered, a smile painting across his lips. It almost took Daryl by surprise. He had done his grieving last night and now he was a completely different person. "We take down the netting from behind the basketball game stand and we rig it up in the tree." Everyone agreed that that was the best and safest idea.

While a group went to cut down the basketball netting, three of them stayed back to organize the meat into a pile. Daryl took the liberty upon himself to stay back and work with the meat even if it burned his nostrils. David and Peter stayed back to help; the two youngest in the group. "So, who gave yah that knife, kid?" Daryl asked David as he grabbed a platter of rotting meat.

David grabbed a plate, following Daryl to where they were laying it out. "My dad. I know it's small, but I ain't got nothin' else," he rambled.

Daryl laughed. "That ain't gonna protect yah from nothin'. Look, if yah want a real knife, yah can have one a mine," Daryl said sitting down his plate. He pulled out one of his longer blades from his sheath and handed it over to David. Daryl could already see that he was taking pride in the blade. It was heavier than his small knife and much more balanced. "Let's hope yah don't gotta use it today."

He smiled but nodded, sheathing it against his thigh. Once Daryl, David and Peter had moved all the meat into one sole pile, the other half of the group had returned with the netting. Wasting no time, they laid out the net and moved all the deer meat to the center of it. To carry it, they knotted it at the top and slid two medium sized sticks through the bundle. And finally they were set to venture out into the woods.

Daryl scouted the woods out in front of him as they walked. Sal, Roger, Will and Skeez carried the load as David took up the rear and Peter walked on the other side of Daryl. They were lucky enough to not run into any walkers just yet, but they were still anxious. "Just keep an eye out," Will grunted, adjusting the branch on his shoulder. Daryl nodded.

They had been walking for ten minutes already, but Daryl wanted to go farther. The farther they went, it would take walkers twice as long to get there at their rate. Daryl spotted a tree up ahead that looked sturdy and tall enough for the meat to hang just out of reach from the walkers. "Right up there," Daryl said, just as the growls started. He held his hand up, halting the group.

David's grip tightened around his gifted knife and Peter adjusted his hands higher on his aluminum baseball bat. The growls grew louder, yet no walkers could be seen. Daryl took a deep breath and focused on the sound and which direction it was coming from. And then the walkers spilled out from behind the trees descending upon the group.

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Beth had laid out her assortment of knives she's collected on the picnic tables under the party pavilion for her quilting ladies. There was at least ten different ones, but she kept her favorite one sheathed by her side. There was no way she was going to let anyone else use that specific one. She had it since she stole it from Daryl right after the prison fell. It had saved her life many times.

"Go ahead n' take one," Beth told them. They were all obviously nervous to be even touching knives. Beth couldn't fathom how they had made it this far in the apocalypse and didn't know how to defend themselves. Delilah, Esther, Lainey, Kimber, Alice and Martha each reached out and took a different blade. Beth wasn't nearly worried about Alice as she was with the others.

This was her second task of the day after talking to the kids. She, very politely, sat them down and told them about two superheroes named Sophia and Carl. She got her point across that Sophia and Carl would never have opened those gates, but instead would be helping out to whatever they could to survive. She left them each with a hug and a smile. But this group of ladies weren't that easy to deal with. She couldn't tell them a story about superheroes or make-believe. This was the real world.

Beth had them all stand, except for Martha, and had them slash at the air with their blades. Though Beth told Martha that she could just learn how to hold the blade with her arthritis, she stood anyways and tried to strike out at the imaginary attackers. Beth walked along behind the ladies, watching their form as they threw the knives at bulls eyes drawn onto trees.

At first, they were far off, hitting the farthest line or missing the tree all together. But after a few more minutes of practice, mostly everyone was hitting the center. Martha still couldn't throw the knife so Beth worked more with her on hand-to-hand fighting. She showed her how to use her weight to her advantage if a walker ever got close enough to her. Martha shot her a toothy grin, grateful to Beth for not going easy on her. "Thanks, Bethy," she mused happily.

Her heart almost stopped. Bethy was the nickname her father had given her. Beth tried to smile back as big as she could. "Anythin' for you, Martha," she said. "Why don't we take a break for awhile, yeah?" She asked everyone else. "We can make some lemonade, eat a little?" Everyone agreed after the long day working with knives. Together, the quilting ladies made it over to the carousel to make the lemonade and to see what was available to eat.

Martha went quickly to work on the lemonade despite the fact that her wrists were starting to bother her. Beth would talk to Daryl about finding some painkillers or anti-inflammatories on one of his next runs. They had found some deer jerky that was still good and passed it out around the group. "Oh, Lainey," Alice gasped as she took the bag. "That's a nasty scar, what happened?" Lainey held up her forearm, the jagged white scars crossing over the pale skin.

Lainey let out a laugh. "It's nothin'. I got caught up in some barbed wire when I was younger. I've grown so used to it, I don't even realize it's there anymore," she told the group as she hopped up onto a picnic table. "Anyone else got any scar stories to tell?" She asked, a sly smile on the corner of her mouth.

Martha spoke up then. She held up her first finger on her left hand. Despite all the wrinkles on her aging hands, a silver scar snaked around the side towards her thumb in a crescent moon shape. "I was slicin' potatoes with my momma for the first time. I was eleven," she smiled, reminiscing at the memory she had of before the walkers started popping up. "We were laughin' and carryin' on, singin' and what not. I wasn't payin' any attention and I sliced my finger right open. Wouldn't stop bleedin' for awhile."

Beth smiled along with Martha and the other girls. But she knew she only had two scars. One was along her elbow from when she fell out of a tree when she was younger. The other graced her wrist from one of the lowest points in her life. It was also from when she first met Daryl. Martha went on to tell all the other stories of her scars, which ended at the fifth one.

Beth would stay silent as long as she could. She leaned forward on her knees, listening to all the stories from her friends. Kimber had a scar on her forehead from chicken pox right in between her eyebrows. She then told the story of the birthmark on her hip in the shape of a horseshoe and how it always brought her luck.

She thought about her own birthmark. Right beside her bellybutton. It was one of the only things Beth liked about herself. Soon, it came to be Alice's turn. She showed the scar on the bottom of her lip from a car Christopher threw at her face when he was just a baby. And then the one behind her ear from a car accident in her teen years. She then nudged Beth. "What about you, Beth? Got any worthy scar stories?" She smiled, waiting for Beth to start her stories.

Taking a deep breath, she decided she wouldn't tell the story about her wrist. Instead, she pointed to the one her elbow. "Got this one from fallin' out of my parent's tree. I was playin' hide-n-seek with my older sister Maggie. I got the best of her but when I went to get down, I fell," Beth laughed, reliving her own memories from the past.

Alice looked at her, waiting for more. "That's it?" She asked. "You only got one scar?" Beth nodded, trying to just end the conversation there. "Then why you keep rubbin' your wrist like that?" Alice asked, grabbing at Beth's hands. She held her hand out for the group to see, the serrated white edge raised along the crease of her wrist.

Beth sighed, pulling her wrist back. She avoided their gazes as she started to speak. She could feel the tears brimming at her eyes, but she would not let them fall. There was no way in hell she would cry over this. "That scar happened after the apocalypse happened," she told the group. "I had just met Daryl, not that he's a part of the story in how I got this scar, but…"she trailed off. "I tried to kill myself." She flinched at the intakes of breath. "I no longer wanted to live so I broke a mirror and slit my wrist. I instantly regretted it the moment I finished."

She ran her finger over the raised skin, remembering the feel of the mirror in her hands. "I've moved past that moment in my life and I've never wanted to live more," she said, looking out at the people listening to her. Martha had tears in her eyes and Delilah wouldn't even look at Beth. Alice moved over and wrapped her arms around Beth's shoulders, giving her a loving squeeze. The group had fell into silence, sipping their lemonade and eating the deer jerky.

For the first time in the day, Beth let herself think about Daryl. She never realized that he should have been back by now. While lost in her thoughts, Beth hadn't noticed the ladybug crawl across her knee. She stuck her finger out for her little red friend. Alice gasped. "Beth! Do you know what that means? When a ladybug just happens across you?" She asked. Beth shook her head, eyes trained on the bug crawling on her finger. "My mom always used to tell me Asian legends when I was younger, don't ask me why," Alice laughed. "But in Asian culture, if a lady bug happens across you and you let it go unharmed, it'll fly to your true love and whisper your name in their ear and your true love will hurry to your side."

Beth smiled. She liked the story that Alice had told her. Just then, the ladybug flew from her finger towards the pools. "I'm not exactly sure who my true love would be in this world," Beth joked, though she could only think of one person.

"Look!" Lainey exclaimed, pointing in the direction that the ladybug had flown off in. Everyone followed her gaze just in time to see Daryl and the others emerge through the fence with two dead deer in tow. "Seems like those legends were real after all."

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**Who's excited to hear about what happened when Daryl was out with the meat? Also, with the scars two of the scar stories are my own! It's Martha's finger scar and Kimber's forehead scar are two scars that I actually do have! Thought I'd throw in the lady bug cameo from 'Still.' Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know in a review! (:**


	8. Taste of the Old Life

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I'm having a sort of crisis with my writing. I'm constantly not thinking it's good enough or I'm comparing myself to other writer's on here. It's a bad habit, I know. But hopefully, you'll enjoy this chapter! It's more of just Daryl and Beth, which you guys have been requesting. I'm going to try and make more of the chapters solely about them. **

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Beth watched as Daryl made his way over to the party pavilion with Will by his side, breaking off from the others. Beth and Alice crawled from their picnic table, meeting them halfway. Even if Daryl was covered in blood (which Beth would ask about later,) she still hugged him and planted a kiss upon his cheek. "How'd everything go?" She asked, falling into step beside him. They had broken off from Alice and Will who were sharing their own conversation.

Daryl shrugged, meeting her gaze. "It could've been better," he admitted honestly. She knew something happened just by the sheer fact both him and Will were covered in a thick layer of walker blood. "A group of walkers had attacked a survivor's camp… and he hadn't survived. We ran into the horde," Daryl told her as they walked back towards the pavilion. He didn't want to tell her that he almost didn't make it out alive.

He didn't want to tell her that he almost died saving David's life or that he had almost gotten bitten. He didn't want to see the pain or tears on her face when he would tell her. Instead, he would keep it a secret. The less she knew, the better. "Well, I'm glad you're safe," Beth said, leaning into his arm. He leaned back. He knew he was just giving her a false sense of security, but he couldn't bring himself to break her heart.

"We raided their camp," Daryl went on, nodding his head. "Found some stuff," he motioned to his backpack. "Came 'cross some fishin' poles…" Daryl smirked, shooting her a sideways glance. He knew that'd put a smile on her face. Before they had found the park survivors, Daryl and Beth always fished together before their poles snapped fleeing from pursuing walkers. "We bagged two deer to make up for yesterday. Thought we could add some fish to the equation."

Beth nodded enthusiastically. "Didn't yah wanna get washed up first? I mean, we could both use a shower," she suggested, looking at her hands. She only noticed now that her fingernails were caked with half moons of dirt and blood and her skin was grimy. She actually couldn't remember the last time she had showered. It never seemed important before until now… as to why, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Daryl gazed at her a moment before nodding. "Hey, Will!" He called ahead to his hunting partner. Will turned with Alice, wondering what Daryl wanted. "Beth n' I are gonna catch a quick shower n' we'll be back to help out," he said, placing his hand on the small of Beth's back. His hands were just how she remembered them. Beth blushed at the thought of him touching her naked.

Will nodded and Alice waved the two of them off. Together, Daryl and Beth made their way back to their house, grabbing towels and a fresh change of clothing for Daryl. Beth was secretly happy that he was going to be wearing a new outfit. He sometimes didn't care about himself enough to wear new clothes each and every day. "When's the last time yah had a shower?" Beth teased, a smirk playing across her lips as they approached the second shower house.

He glanced back to her playfully. "'Bout the last time yah had one yourself," he retorted, hiking his crossbow higher on his shoulder. Beth shook her head, the blush still lingering on her cheeks deepening. She didn't think he noticed how often she didn't shower herself. But at least she changed her clothing regularly. The shower house was dim, but still light enough to see in. The skylights helped with that.

The shower house was small, about ten showers across on each side, a row of benches going down the middle of the room. Each shower had a plastic curtain to cover the entrance and ensure privacy. Beth went to one side of the room and Daryl to the other. He propped his crossbow up against the bench as he shrugged off his vest. He wasn't worried about the blood; he knew that Beth would be able to get it out in the laundry within the next few days. She had become quite the expert at getting out blood from his clothing over the years.

"Just lemme know when you're in the shower. I'll wait," Daryl called to Beth. He'd be a gentleman and wait for her to get in the shower first. Beth hurried and stripped from her clothing, throwing them into a pile at the foot of the bench. Her skin puckered with goose bumps as she climbed into the shower, hurrying to turn on the hot water.

The water cascaded down around her bony shoulders, wetting her hair with warmth. "I'm good," she called from behind the curtain to Daryl. He hurried to kick off his boots, socks, jeans and his shirt, letting them crumple to the floor in a sticky mess. Daryl clambered into the shower, turning on the water. He didn't know why he didn't like to take showers as often. Once he was in, he didn't want to get out.

With the shower house being so dim, Daryl left the curtain cracked open halfway, letting some of the light from the overhead lights spill into his shower stall. He didn't think anything of it. Beth usually liked to take longer showers, singing and spending time washing and rewashing her long blonde hair. Daryl felt warmer just thinking about her. He was waiting to hear her sing, but all he could hear was the steady stream of water from both their showers.

Beth peeked out from behind her curtain. She had forgotten her shampoo, conditioner, and body wash on the bench. Daryl was safe in his shower, occupied with washing his hair. She decided she was going to make a break for it. There was no use in waiting any longer and wasting the hot water. Beth pulled the curtain back farther and dashed out to the bench.

She grabbed her toiletries, glancing up to Daryl once more. A gasp caught in her throat. Daryl was facing away from her, his hands working the shampoo to a lather in his long hair. But that's not what had caught her attention. It was the silvery scars crisscrossing along his shoulder blades and back. She could feel the tears starting to brim at the thought of anyone beating him.

Before Daryl could catch her staring, Beth dashed back to her shower stall, dropping the bottles and loofa to her feet. "Beth?" Daryl called, hearing the bottles fall to the ground. "Yah all right?"

"Yeah," Beth shouted back, trying to keep her voice calm and even. "'M fine," she said to herself. She couldn't get the image of Daryl's scarred back from her mind. He had always hidden them away from her. She now understood why he didn't like to go shirtless or for people to touch him often except for her. She could only imagine what he must have gone through to receive those marks.

But she knew she couldn't ask. She knew she couldn't say anything to him about them or he would know she was spying. Beth would have to ignore the fact that she saw them for her own good as well as Daryl's. Pushing the thoughts out of her mind, Beth picked up the shampoo bottle from the tiled shower floor. She squeezed out a small amount and worked it to a lather in her hair. It was getting too long for her liking but she didn't want to cut it either. It was one thing that always stuck with her besides Daryl. "I'm getting' out, Beth," Daryl called, pulling the curtain the rest of the way back.

He dried himself off quickly with his towel and dressed in his fresh outfit. He pulled on his socks and boots, his back turned to Beth's shower stall. "Almost done?" He asked once he was fully dressed. Beth hummed, letting him know she was nearly finished. A few minutes later and the water cut off.

Beth rung out her hair over her shoulder and pulled the curtain back. Daryl was sitting away from her on the bench in the middle of the room. She was surprised that he hadn't gone outside yet. Beth stepped out, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around her torso before she braided her hair. She liked to do that right after she got out of the shower. She combed through it with her fingers over her right shoulder and braided it down. Her hair was so long now that it reached right below her breasts.

Even if Daryl was dressed, Beth couldn't keep herself from staring. She knew what lied underneath his layers of clothing. She shut her eyes tight, trying to push the images out of her mind again. She took a deep breathe before dressing in her outfit from before. "I'm dressed," she said as she pulled on her boots, their backs almost touching. "Were we gonna fish or were we gonna help with the deer?" She asked, standing just as he did. She was hoping for fishing. It had been awhile since the last time she did just that.

"I didn't get the poles for nothin'," Daryl smiled, carefully scooping up his soiled clothing. "Of course we're goin' fishin'." Together, they left the shower house, the cool air chilling their wet heads. They were stopping off at the house once more to drop off Daryl's clothes and for Beth to grab a warmer jacket.

Once they had left their house, they made their way back to the carousel where the poles were and where Will and Alice were helping with the dinner. "Deer are drainin'," Will greeted the pair as they stepped up onto the platform. He was eating some of the jerky that Beth and the ladies were snacking on earlier.

Daryl nodded, happy to hear the progress that they had made with their meal. This time, they were going to eat the deer, not let it go to waste. Beth had gotten through to the kids and Daryl was glad. He didn't like to be denied a meal. "Beth n' I are gonna try our hands at fishin'. We'll be back soon," he said, grabbing the poles that were leaning against the wall. Daryl slid his hand around Beth's shoulder, nudging her forward slightly. They were heading towards the dock that Daryl helped to build.

Beth sat down at the edge of the dock, folding her knees into her chest. Daryl sat down beside her Indian style. They both cast off into the small river, waiting for the bites to come. "This feels weird," Beth said after what felt like an eternity of silence. "It feels weird becoming a part of another group." She reeled in her line slowly, looking at Daryl. He blinked at her. But he knew exactly what she meant.

"I was thinkin' the same thing, Beth. I didn't wanna say anythin' to yah since yah suggested we try this," he continued, casting off his line again. "I keep thinkin' that any moment, everythin' will just _click, _but it's not gonna be like that." Beth dropped her gaze. She didn't want his words to be true, but they were and there was no changing that. "But we can't leave. Like yah said before, outside these fences, it's no life I wanna live." He sighed, running a hand over his face. He was so conflicted on what to do.

He didn't want to be the leader of this group. They were going to be a handful to fix. It wouldn't happen overnight, that was something both of them were sure of. Beth let the pole go slack in her hands, her mind too busy thinking about other things. "Wherever you go, Daryl, I'll go with yah. It's always been you n' me," she said, staring at him. He met her gaze, thinking the same. They would have to come up with something together mutually. "But I think we should still give this a shot."

Daryl nodded. If she thought there was hope in this place, he would go with it. Beth always had good intuition about things like this, when they were on the run and when they first came here. Daryl was skeptical, but Beth saw the real safety that this place brought. "We'll give it a shot," Daryl confirmed, casting out his line again.

"Are they at least gettin' better with the huntin'?" Beth asked, reeling her line in. "Yah know, with bein' quiet n' all?"

He shrugged. They still weren't the best with hunting in general, but they were able to provide for the group, so he couldn't complain. "It's a work in progress. How're your ladies n' the weapons comin'?" He asked, glancing towards her. Wisps from her braid were starting to come loose in the slight breeze as they dried. He wanted to reach out and tuck them behind her ear.

Beth returned the shrug. "It's a work in progress," she said, smiling. Both of them could only hope that soon everyone would know how to handle weapons, hunt and track a little. They had been sheltered for too long. It was time to face the reality of this world and it wasn't pretty. Just then, Beth's line jerked, a fish tugging on the bait, hooking his lip. She quickly scrambled to her feet, reeling in her line quickly so she didn't lose her catch.

Daryl watched, only slightly disappointed that he wasn't the one to be the first to catch a fish here. They always had made fishing a competition between them – Beth winning most of the time. She never liked to let him forget it. Fishing was her strength and hunting was his. Daryl had taught her how to use his crossbow before, in case something ever happened to him she'd know how to use it. It was heavy and Beth's arms couldn't hold the weight for more than a few minutes at a time. But fishing… that was something that Daryl just wasn't the best at.

She reeled in her catch, jerking it out of the water, holding it up for Daryl to take the bass off the hook. For the next half hour, Beth and Daryl continued to fish, both of them catching fish, Beth beating Daryl by a two fish lead. The two of them hauled their catch back to the grills as the sun descended towards the horizon. The rest of the park's residents would be heading towards the carousel soon for the feast to begin.

They met up with Will who relieved their catch from them, handing them to others to filet and get them on the grill. "Why don't yah go find some seats?" Will suggested with the spatula towards the carousel. "You've done more than enough for us the past few days. Take a break and just enjoy the food tonight?" Daryl looked to Beth who nodded. It was a step in the right direction.

Will was acknowledging them as a part of the group. They were important; they were contributing members of society. They weren't just sitting on the sidelines anymore. Daryl nodded, accepting Will's proposal and walked off towards the carousel, Beth by his side. Alice was already underneath the lit carousel, setting up the food table with clean plates and silverware for people to take at the beginning of the line. "There yah guys are," she smiled, straightening out. "Thought yah guys got lost for awhile!" She winked at the pair. "Save me n' Will a seat?"

Beth laughed, but a blush burned her cheeks again. "Of course we will," she replied, letting Alice get back to what she was doing. This was their night to relax. Tomorrow they would go back to helping out more with meals. Daryl slid into a table near the perimeter of the carousel, the table they had sat at the night before. He was a creature of habit. Beth sat down across from him, oblivious to the people filling in around them, grabbing open tables while they were still available. In Beth's mind, it was just her and Daryl and that's how she would always want it.

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**This isn't going to be the only chapter that mentions Beth seeing Daryl's scars. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. Took me awhile to write, actually. Leave a review telling me what you thought! & Don't forget to check out "Respectfully, CMC Dixon" by Riain! It's currently my favorite story on here! Tell her I sent yah over (:**


	9. The Sad Man's Drink

**First off, I'd like to thank you all for the kinda support on this story and my writing. It means a lot to me to hear you all enjoy it so much! Every review brings a smile to my face! I hope you enjoy this chapter... some more drama for yah! Don't forget to leave me a review (:**

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Beth moved through the food line, filling up her plate, Daryl not far behind. She piled on a deer steak and some of her bass that she had caught. There was no way she was going to pass that up. She looked back to Daryl, a smile permanently planted on his face for the time being. She knew how happy he was with this meal. She felt bad that he had to wait a day longer for it to happen, though. Once they made it through the line, they pushed their way back to their table and started eating while they waited for Will and Alice to arrive.

Though they liked their friends, they still enjoyed their free time together. It felt like old times. "Any plans for tomorrow?" Beth asked, starting to dig into her meal.

Daryl wiped off his hands on his jeans, earning a glare from Beth, but continued anyway. "Skeez told me 'bout some golf carts they had holed up in maintenance. Said he couldn't get em' started, n' I told him I'd take a look at em'," he said, digging back into his meal. He raised his eyebrows as if to ask Beth what her own plans were.

Instead of on her jeans, Beth wiped off her hands on a napkin before answering. "Martha n' I were gonna deliver the blanket to Charlotte since we never got the chance before," she said. "Then I was gonna work on some laundry," she narrowed her eyes again. She would have to dish out some extra care to Daryl's clothing this time. Greasy jeans and blood soaked clothing from earlier. Even if Daryl was polite and had manners, he still wasn't the cleanest.

He nodded, agreeing with her plans. Before he could say anything else, Alice and Will arrived with their own plates full of food. "Hey," Alice smiled, taking a seat beside Beth and her husband. "I'm so glad this meal didn't go to waste," she said, wasting no time digging into her meal. Will didn't even bother with a greeting; he was starving from being out beyond the fences all day. It only made Beth giggle.

For the rest of the night, Beth, Daryl, Alice and Will ate, laughed, and told stories from before the turn. As the time went on, most of the parks residents dispersed back to their homes for the night. Usually, most people don't like to stay out after the sun goes down. The dead become more active. Beth collected their empty plates and placed them in the wash bins to be cleaned the next day. By now, the four of them were the only people left underneath the dim carousel. "Anyone want a beer?" Will asked, standing. "We had found that six-pack on the run. We don't want it to go to waste."

Beth glanced around. She didn't see any harm in it. She had only gotten drunk once before with Daryl a few days after the prison had fallen. But that had been moonshine, this was real beer. One beer wouldn't hurt. She nodded along with Daryl and Alice. Will clasped his hands together with a sinister grin as he left to retrieve the beer. Moments later, he returned with the six-pack in tow.

He passed the cans out, the pop and hisses following behind almost immediately. Though it was warm, it was still good. "Can't remember the last time I had a beer," Daryl mused, taking another swig from his can. "Ain't the best shit, but it'll do." Beth smiled, taking a sip from her own can. She could tell when Daryl was having a good time; he was prone to swear more. Though Beth herself didn't swear, she was always happy to hear the negative words from him as ironic as that sounded.

Beth leaned back against the picnic table. "Budweiser was my shit back before the infection," Will reminisced, looking at his can of Coors Light.

"I liked my martini's," Alice blushed. She seemed the type to drink girly drinks.

Daryl laughed. "I was more of a Jack Daniel's kinda man," he said, taking another drag from his can. Beth's blush burned again. She was only twenty years old now. Before the infection hit, she wasn't old enough to drink, she wasn't even old enough to drink now by the rules they followed before. But none of that seemed to matter anymore. "N' Beth, here," Daryl continued. "Her favorite is moonshine." She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him and what he was referring to.

Will looked impressed with her. "Moonshine, huh?" He asked. "Not my first choice for a young lady like yourself." He raised his can of beer to Beth and tapped it lightly. Just then, far off in the woods, screams pierced the air. Cans froze in mid-air on their way to meet lips. It was one scream, it didn't sound too far off, but it sounded terrified.

"We have ta go help," Daryl said, abandoning his Coors Light on the table. He scooped up his crossbow from the foot of the table, adjusting the arrows that were strung across the front. Will left his beer on the table as well, reaching for his knife to replace his empty hand.

Beth slipped off the picnic table. She had just gotten Daryl back! She didn't care if she was being selfish, she didn't want him to go. She didn't think she could handle him returning to her bloodied again, or not returning at all. "Daryl, yah can't put yourself in danger like that," she said, reaching out and grabbing his bicep. "They're probably dead already, if not close to it." Beth couldn't believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. It almost felt like a slap to the face.

Daryl paused for a millisecond, still listening to the blood curdling screams. He wouldn't be surprised if they awakened half the park. Screams and pleas for help were not a thing to be taken lightly. "What if it were you out there?" Daryl asked, holding her gaze. "What if I didn't come runnin'?" Beth could feel the tears starting to prickle behind her eyes. She couldn't and wouldn't let them fall.

Before she could say anything else, Daryl gently tore his arm from Beth's grasp and fled with Will. They disappeared into the darkness only to hear the park's fence gate creak open and slam shut. Beth looked to Alice. She was staring intently into her open can of beer. "They'll be all right, Beth, they always are," she said, her voice devoid of any emotion. Beth shook her head, her hand closing around the arrow strung around her neck. She was expecting Alice to say something along those lines. She had been living behind these fences for far too long to know what really goes on out there in the real world. No one was ever safe; not even Daryl.

As Beth sat down on the table next to Alice, the screams grew fainter. Beth wanted to rip her ears off; she'd do anything to get the horrid sound to stop. She leaned forward onto her knees, squeezing her ears shut with her palms. Alice reached over and soothingly rubbed her back, but that wasn't going to help the situation much. The only thing that would help would be Daryl arriving back safe and sound. "Beth, they stopped," Beth heard from a muffled Alice.

She let her hands fall from her head to her sides, only meeting silence and the sound of crickets. "They must have made it to whoever was being attacked," Beth imagined. Attacked from what, she couldn't say. It could be walkers or it could be humans. She knew what people were capable of and Alice, she was blind to the world. "They should be back any minute." She was trying to be positive and not thinking of the negative like she had become so accustomed to do.

Alice nodded. She was almost astounded to the way Beth was reacting. If Daryl hadn't said they go help, she wasn't sure if Will would have went out of his way to help the damsel in distress. But if he had, she wouldn't be so scared. Death wasn't something she had seen much of, not before Christopher, anyway. After an eternity of silence, they heard the gate eerily creak open. "Beth! Alice! Come quickly!"

Panic and fear spiked through Beth quickly. She pitched herself off the picnic table and into the darkness with Alice following behind her. "Daryl!" She called, trying to keep her voice from wavering with fear. He called to her again and Beth pushed forward through the suffocating inky blackness. And then she saw them stumbling away from the gate, a limp form hanging between them. It was a girl, her arms strung around their shoulders as she fought to walk.

"Oh my god," Alice said, catching up to Beth's side. She threw a hand over her mouth at the sight of the poor girl sandwiched between the men. They darted forward as they came to their senses and went to help the girl.

Her eyes were open, but unfocused. Something horrible must have happened to her. There was a wet patch of blood on her shirt off to the side of her bellybutton. Alice squeezed her eyes shut as she imagined what was lying underneath the spoiled patch of clothing. "Take her to the house," Beth commanded, fumbling for the flashlight in her pocket. The small light clicked on, illuminating enough of the path for the trio to stop stumbling, though it was hard with the girl barely able to stand on her own.

Daryl jutted his chin forward. "You girls go on, we'll catch up. Get a bed ready for her n' some blankets, she's freezin'," he called. Beth didn't have to argue. She pulled on Alice's elbow, pulling her along as she dashed forward towards their house. This would be the first time that someone other than the two of them would be in their dwelling. Beth burst through their front door, grabbing the lantern off to the side of the door and lighting it quickly.

Alice didn't waste time looking around, she went straight to work with Beth. She stripped her bed of her sheets and threw the pillow off to the side so it wouldn't be stained with blood just in case she had been infected. Together, they kicked the dirty and clean clothes away to clear a space for them to work in if need be. Moments later, Daryl, Will and the mysterious girl came stumbling through the doorway. Beth helped guide them to the prepared air mattress and helped them lay the girl down on it.

In the dim light, Beth could tell the girl was a ginger with a thick covering of freckles across her cheeks and bridge of her nose. She was beautiful and small. She could easily be a teenager or a young adult just like Beth. Curiosity getting the best of her, Beth knelt down beside the girl and lifted her shirt where it was soaked in blood, the skin underneath free and unbroken. She could have a sigh of relief. She wasn't bitten there. Anywhere else was fair game.

"The blankets are over there," Beth pointed to the corner. Alice retrieved them quickly and helped to drape a few of them over her shivering form. Beth tucked the edges under her chin and swiped her sweated hair out of the girl's face. With nothing else to do, Beth stood and approached Daryl and Will along with Alice. "What happened?" She asked, meeting Daryl's gaze.

He sighed, shifting his weight and adjusting the crossbow against his shoulder. Will had wound his arm around Alice's shoulders, drawing her into his body. "She was surrounded by walkers. She was runnin' towards the park, she woulda found it sooner or later," Daryl retold the encounter. "She was shovin' em' away but they just kept comin'. We helped her out but she was so exhausted that she just collapsed."

Beth shot a glance over her shoulder at the girl. She wondered how she ended up alone. "We can't leave her alone," Alice said, sending her husband a worried gaze. Beth and Daryl both agreed. The girl was lucky enough that they let her inside the gates. She would have to be watched constantly for both their safety and to put her down if she turns.

"No, we can't," Daryl agreed. "Someone needs ta stay with her at all hours, just in case, yah know," he said. "Do yah think either of yah could handle that if it came to that situation?" He asked the pair of them. He'd hate for it to be only him and Beth watching the girl. Neither of them would get nearly enough sleep, but as it seemed now, neither of them would be getting any shuteye tonight.

Will nodded along with Alice. "We could handle it," they agreed. Daryl sighed again, looking intently to the girl falling asleep in Beth's bed. Why was it always the two of them that ran into trouble? "Do yah wanna take the first watch or should we?" Alice asked, her gaze washing over Beth and Daryl.

Beth spoke before Daryl could. "We'll take the first watch," she said. She wanted to talk to Daryl and she wanted to do so in the privacy of their own home. "We'll come getcha when we need some sleep," she said. "Where do yah live again?" She couldn't recall if they ever told them where they lived.

"We live over in the laser tag building," Alice told them. Beth nodded and the two of them said their goodbyes and excused themselves from the room. It was just Daryl and Beth left.

She wandered away from Daryl and over to the girl resting on her bed. "Beth, 'M sorry," he said, watching as she knelt down beside her, gazing at her ruefully. "I wasn't thinkin', I shoulda listened to yah," he said. He was feeling guilty. He didn't like to see her like this, but he couldn't leave the girl to die on her own either. That was the worst way possible to go in his mind.

Beth shook her head. "What's done is done," she said, looking to him. "We gotta take care of her now." She reached out to brush her hair again, but the instant her fingertips came in contact, the girl screamed out again, rocketing forward and grabbing Beth's wrists. The girl fell forward onto Beth, but Daryl darted forward, reaching his arms around the girl's midsection and heaving her off his companion.

The girl kicked and squirmed in Daryl's grasp but she wasn't going anywhere. "Stop," Daryl growled into her ear. "Quit your rutschin!'" He shook her once. He got his point across and she fell limp in his arms once again. Beth had whipped out her knife and held it out defensively towards the girl.

Daryl pushed her away, despite her being weak. The girl turned on the pair of them, desperately trying to hide the fear in her eyes. "We ain't gonna hurt yah," Beth said. "We helped yah. Daryl n' our friend Will. They helped yah with the walkers in the woods. Now, why don't yah tell us your name?" Beth asked kindly, crouching in front of her the girl while Daryl remained standing. He'd be there to help in case the girl attacked again.

"Piper," the girl breathed. "The name is Piper." The name suited her perfectly though Beth didn't know why.

"How're yah feelin', Piper?" Beth asked. She needed to make sure she wasn't bit and not a bigger threat than she already was. Piper shrugged. Beth sighed. She was going to be stubborn after everything. "Do you mind if I check yah for any bites?" She asked. "We need to make sure yah ain't bit. Daryl'll leave the room, don't worry," she looked to Daryl pointedly.

The girl glanced between the two of them a few times before reluctantly nodding. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she trusted the pair of them. Beth was so nice and her soothing voice could convince anyone of anything. "You'll be all right?" Daryl asked, hesitant to leaving Beth alone with their newest visitor. Beth nodded, waving him out of the room.

With one last glance to Beth, Daryl left the room, leaning against the wall of the adjoining room, waiting for them to finish up. Now alone in the room, Beth could check for bites on Piper's body in peace – girl to girl. "How old are yah, Piper?" Beth asked as she leaned forward, rolling up the pant legs of Piper's jeans.

"Fifteen," she answered; watching Beth's every movement. She was so young to be so alone in this world. But that wasn't any of Beth's business at the moment. She continued up her body, checking her hips, her arms, the rest of her stomach.

Beth pulled Piper's hair off to the side, around one of her shoulders, checking the other for any broken skin or bite marks. It was clean; She twisted the hair again and pulled it over to the other shoulder. Beth gasped, her hands stilling. At the crook of her neck there was a barely-there bite. Just the scraping of teeth, but it was there and it was only a matter of time for Piper to die and return.

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**How do you think Beth and Daryl are going to handle this situation? I know most of you don't like the other characters in this story, but some moments are needed with them to move the story along, and hopefully you will understand that for Beth and Daryl's relationship to evolve from a close friendship. Just bear with me!**


	10. Mourning the Demons

**Another Beth and Daryl chapter! This one is very important to them in terms of their relationship. And it shows just how close they really are. Thanks for all the support on this story! Your reviews always put a smile on my face! **

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"What is it?" Piper asked, her voice shrill, her eyes widening. Beth returned her hair to its natural position and looked at the girl. She had so much hope for this young girl; it was hard to see her go after all they did to make sure she was okay. Not to mention, this would only remind her more of the people she lost before. But she would have to take her own advice; people die… and she would just have to accept it.

Beth sighed. "It's nothin', sweetie. Why don't yah lay back n' get some sleep. If yah need me or Daryl, we'll be in the next room over, all right?" She asked, covering Piper up as she laid back against Beth's pillow. Piper nodded, her eyes hooded from sleep. Beth patted her shoulder, trying to ignore the bite lying underneath the collar of her shirt. She stood and stalked out of the room, tears already collecting along the rims of her eyes.

Daryl peeled himself off the wall; shock running through him at the sight of an upset Beth. He grabbed her forearms gently, leaning forward. "Beth, what's wrong?" He asked, searching her teary eyes. She shook her head, pitching herself forward and wrapping her arms around his neck. He staggered backwards against the wall, but held her tight, burying his face into her neck. "Tell me what's wrong…" he pleaded.

She sniffled, but pulled back to look at him. "It's Piper," she murmured. "She's bit. I – I couldn't tell her. The look on her face was heartbreaking." She shook her head again, hiccupping and burying her face into the folds of Daryl's flannel shirt. As shocked Daryl was about Piper turning into a walker at any moment, he had to console his partner. He rubbed her back soothingly as she cried into his chest. He never imagined that a stranger's death would hit her this hard. She didn't even cry when people from the park had perished.

Her cries tore through him like knives. He never wanted to have to hear Beth cry again but he knew that was going to be inevitable. After a few moments, Beth's sobs had calmed down to small sniffles. "She's sleepin'?" Daryl asked, rubbing her back again. She nodded, wiping away a stray tear. After years of being around Daryl, she didn't care if she cried in front of him no matter how repulsive she ended up looking. If it were anyone else, she would have shied away. "We should go check on her."

Beth sighed and nodded. Daryl's hand slid down her arm, encasing her wrist gently as he tugged her into the room where Piper laid sleeping. Lightly, Daryl placed his free hand across her forehead, letting go of Beth's wrist. Where she was freezing before, she was burning up now. She would be changing soon. Daryl looked to Beth and then back to Piper. "It'd be best to do it now, when she wouldn't feel it…" Daryl trailed off. The rise and fall of her chest was labored as if she was fighting for each and every breath she took.

It was such a pity to have to watch this young girl change. Odds were he wasn't going to see her awake again. But it would be better this way. It would be painless and quick. Beth squeezed her eyes shut. She couldn't stand to look at the girl dying in her bed, but she nodded. It needed to be done and this was the best way possible. She would be in a better place in no time. Be knelt down with Daryl, unsheathing her own knife. Daryl looked at incredulously.

But Beth just handed over the blade to Daryl. She wouldn't be able to handle killing Piper, not this time. There were some things that not even she could push herself to do. She reached out and held Piper's hand as Daryl reached forward, pressing the tip of the blade at her temple. And in one fluid motion, Piper was gone from the world. They were drenched in silence. Not even the crickets were chirping. Daryl slowly cleaned Beth's blade and tucked it back into the sheath on her hip. He didn't want to acknowledge that she was still holding Piper's hand.

"Why don't yah get ready for bed?" Daryl suggested. "I'll take her out n' lay her to rest, alright?" He asked, placing his hand on Beth's knee. Tears wiggled in her vision again, but she nodded. She let her hand drop from the dead girl's as Daryl scooped her up in her arms. Beth took the blankets from her body, Piper no longer needing them in death.

She wondered what he was going to do with her. They didn't have any tools to bury her with. But whatever he had in mind was okay with her. She wanted Piper out of the house. Daryl moved to the doorway, pausing and looking back to Beth. She was still kneeling, studying her hands in her lap. He took a deep breath and slipped out the door into the night.

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It was several moments after Daryl left that Beth stayed kneeling by her bedside. She was too numb to move. She couldn't understand why Piper's death was hitting her so hard. Maybe it was because she hadn't allowed herself to mourn for her friends from two years ago, or maybe it was because Piper was so young. She shoved the memories to the back of her mind and stood, pulling her sweater over her head. She rummaged through the piles of clothes strewn around the room and finally found what she was looking for.

It was a pair of her sweatpants and a clean shirt of Daryl's. At the moment, the necklace around her neck wasn't enough. She slipped off her pants and pulled on the holey sweats along with Daryl's shirt. She turned and faced her own bed but couldn't do it. Maybe with clean sheets and a new pillowcase, but not tonight. She was too tired to do anything – it had to be well past midnight. Beth sighed, undoing the braid in her hair in exchange for a bun on the top of her head. With her hair situated, Beth crawled into Daryl's untouched bed and slid under the covers. She breathed in his distinct scent from his pillow. She let her tired eyes fall shut, but she didn't fall asleep. She wanted to wait up for Daryl.

It was about a half hour later when he finally returned. She rolled over in his bed upon hearing his footsteps echo against the wooden floor. He looked virtually unscathed, just sad. "Yah should be sleepin'," was all he said. Beth remained silent only keeping her eye contact in the dim light. Daryl sighed, running a hand over his face. He toed off his boots and shrugged off his jeans, kicking them to the side. Beth averted her eyes as he undressed. "Scoot over."

Beth slid across the mattress closer to the wall as Daryl climbed underneath the blankets beside her – her back to his front. Now that he was here and she could feel the warmth radiating off of him, she felt complete. It felt like old times. It almost felt like they hadn't experienced another death again. "I'm sorry," Beth finally said, breaking the silence between them. "For not handlin' it better." Daryl shook his head, though she couldn't see him.

"S'all right, Beth," he murmured huskily. It was his fault for everything that happened tonight. He had put her through more stress than she needed. It was first the fact that he went after Piper and she asked him not to. Then they couldn't save her. They couldn't save her like they couldn't save their friends. He stared at the slope of her bare neck, the chain lying on it underneath the fold of his collar. He was strangely addicted to seeing her in his shirts. "I won't leave yah again."

She let her eyes fall shut, his words resonating in her head. Daryl always kept his promises no matter how wild or crazy they were. She knew he wouldn't break it. "Get some sleep," he finally murmured after his statement hung unanswered. Beth took a deep breath, rolling over to face him, her eyes flickering open to meet his. She kissed his cheek, the corner of his mouth and nestled herself closer to him, their chests touching. Moments later and Beth had fallen asleep, but Daryl lay awake for a few hours later thinking about the kiss that still lingered on his skin.

* * *

In the morning, Beth had awakened first, smiling at the weight across her stomach from Daryl's arm. It had been the second time that she had awoken in this position and she was becoming addicted. But she knew it meant nothing between them – Daryl wasn't even conscious while doing so. Beth shook his shoulder lightly, his bright blue eyes snapping open in surprise. "You're fine," Beth said. "Just me. Time to get up n' get movin'," she said, propping her chin up on the heel of her hand.

Daryl grunted, flicking the covers off of him and Beth. "Yah can go ahead n' get dressed, I gotta take a piss," he said, grabbing his jeans from the night before and pulling them on. He left the room without another word. Beth scrambled off the bed, searching through the clothes strewn across the floor again, trying to find a suitable outfit for the weather outside. After a few seconds of searching and tossing clothes around, Beth pulled together an outfit consisting of a long sleeve shirt, a button up sweater cardigan and jeans with a hole in the knee. She hadn't gotten the chance to stitch it up yet.

Just as she buttoned her pants, Daryl had returned, rubbing the sleep from his tired eyes. They both had quite a long day yesterday. Beth pulled the hair elastic from her ponytail and let her hair tumble around her shoulders in slight waves. Daryl sat down on his bed, fumbling around in the front pocket of his shirt. He pulled out the pack of cigarettes and matches and lit it, taking a puff and blowing out the cloud of smoke. "Aren't yah gonna change?" Beth asked, pulling on her legwarmers and boots.

He took another drag from his cigarette and stared at her. "Nah," he said, blowing out the smoke. "This shirt still gotta day or so in it," he told her, looking down at his chest. Though the shirt he was wearing was clean, it was one of his oldest shirts. It had holes in it and the stitching was starting to fray. She knew the real reason why he wasn't going to change in front of her. It was the scars on his back.

He was embarrassed and it killed Beth that he was. They could share anything between them, even that. He knew of the scar on her wrist, while the others had only learned of it recently. It changed nothing between them. "Daryl…" Beth whispered, taking a leap of faith. "Yah don't have to hide from me."

"I dunno what you're talkin' 'bout," Daryl bluffed, taking another drag from his cigarette, avoiding her eyes. But inside, he was erratic. Did she know about his scars? If so, how? Beth stood and walked over to Daryl, taking a seat next to him on his bed.

She plucked the cigarette from between his fingers and outtened it quickly against the wooden floor. Daryl watched with guarded eyes. "Don't," Beth said, directing her attention back to Daryl. "Don't shut me out. I saw them, Daryl. I saw your scars when we were takin' a shower yesterday. Yah know you can talk to me 'bout whatever." She watched him as he studied the floor. She bit her lip, hoping that bringing this up wasn't going to make him more distant. It was the last thing that she wanted to happen.

After what felt like an eternity, Daryl let out a deep breath. Beth let out one too, one that she hadn't realized she was holding. "It wasn't somethin' I was hidin' from yah, Beth," he said, catching her gaze. "It's just not somethin' I like to talk 'bout, not even ta people 'M comfortable with. It's nothin' 'gainst you." Beth nodded. He was handling it well. Better than she thought he would.

"Well, whenever yah are comfortable, I'll be here," she nudged his shoulder, the corner of her mouth turning up into a half smile. Daryl smiled back. "Now, I'll meet yah at the carousel for breakfast. Get dressed, we got stuff to do today," she continued, pushing off her knees and standing.

She grabbed her sheath off her bed and fed it through her belt loops, returning it to the home on her thigh. She was about to leave Daryl alone to get dressed, when he stopped her. "Nah, wait," he called, standing as well. "'M not gonna get any better unless, I try, right?" He asked. Beth smiled and nodded slightly. Taking a deep breath, Daryl started to unbutton his shirt slowly and one at a time. Beth felt like she was watching something she wasn't supposed to, but this is what Daryl wanted.

A few seconds later, Daryl had made it to the last button at the bottom of his shirt. She could see the narrow strip of his stomach and chest between the front of his shirt. Slowly, Daryl slipped his shirt off, letting it flutter to the floor and pool around his feet. He felt exposed with Beth's eyes combing over his body. But if it were anybody else, he would still be dressed. She was the only person he felt comfortable enough to do this in front of. Beth smiled. He wasn't a bad looking man.

She started forward, his eyes meeting hers. She reached forward, cupping his rough cheek beneath her palm. "'M proud of yah," she smiled, letting her hand fall. Maybe later on he'd let her see his back, but for today, this was enough. Beth crouched down, grabbing a seemingly clean shirt and handed it to him, grinning. Daryl took it from her and slipped it on, buttoning it up quickly. She could see his shoulders visibly relax now that he was redressed.

"Breakfast?" She smiled, fixing the collar of the shirt for him so it lay smooth. Daryl nodded, grabbing his jacket and vest, slipping them on quickly. He slung his crossbow across his back, protecting his scars. Together, they headed out of the haunted house, closing the door behind them and headed out to breakfast. Though they were close before, they were closer than either of them could even fathom.

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**Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, I know I did! Took me awhile to write! Don't forget to leave a review! **


	11. Only Human

**Thank you for all the love on the last chapter! You all seemed to enjoy it! Hopefully I don't disappoint with this chapter. It's mostly about Beth, but it picks up towards the end. Don't forget to leave a review, please! They always make me smile!**

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When Beth and Daryl had arrived at the carousel together, Alice and Will immediately knew something was wrong. They had woken early to get to breakfast and planned to head over to the haunted house to see how the girl was doing and to give them some rest. Alice abandoned her breakfast and pitched herself off the small platform, approaching Beth and Daryl. "How is she?" She asked, falling into step beside Beth.

She cast Daryl a quick glance, catching his small nod. "She didn't make it. She was bit. Daryl buried her shortly after," Beth retold the events of the night to Alice, avoiding her stare. She didn't want her to ask questions and hopefully her recap would prevent just that. Alice let out a shallow gasp.

"She didn't turn did she?" Alice wondered aloud, searching Beth's face. She shook her head, not saying anything. Alice wasn't completely worried about Piper succumbing to the infection around either Beth or Daryl. They were both capable of taking care of themselves. Alice wasn't sure if Will or herself would have handled the situation as well as they did. "Bless her soul."

Beth stepped up onto the platform, forcing her way through the tables towards the back of the line, Daryl right behind her. Alice hadn't followed, she returned to her husband to tell him the fate of Piper. Besides, she had caught on that neither Beth nor Daryl seemed to be in the mood to hold a conversation. That she could sympathize with. After Christopher had passed on, she didn't want to talk to anyone, but the night that she took to mourn was enough. She knew she couldn't let her feelings control her life to the point she was catatonic. Instead, she pushed all the memories containing her son to the back of her mind and that was the last she thought of him. Alice knew it was only a matter of time for her friends to return back to normal. This was the zombie apocalypse after all.

What was left of breakfast was slim pickings. Broken bits of bacon, small clumps of scrambled eggs, bruised fruit and that was virtually it. Beth loaded up a plate for both her and Daryl with what she could scrounge up. Instead of sitting with Alice and Will, they decided to find their own table for a change. Beth slid the plate between them, handing Daryl his set of silverware. "Still goin' ta fix those golf carts yah were talkin' 'bout?" Beth asked, scooping up a spoonful of eggs and popping them into her mouth.

Daryl nodded, sucking his fingertips clean. "Can't let this disrupt our progress," he stated simply. He wanted to tell her that Piper was just a girl. She didn't mean anything to either him or her. They didn't know her. But when he looked at her eyes, he couldn't say that to her. He knew she was hurting, regardless of whether they knew Piper personally or not. It was just another reminder that they couldn't save anyone in this world no matter how hard they tried. They couldn't save their friends and they couldn't save this girl. "We just gotta accept it," he said, watching her.

Beth knew that he was telling her the advice she had given him before. And she knew he was right – she couldn't wallow. She had known Piper for all of ten minutes before she was gone from their lives. "I'll get some laundry done today, too," Beth said. "Might stitch up some a your jeans for the winter," she continued, scraping the last bits of egg off the plate as Daryl grabbed the remaining strip of bacon. He smirked, tearing off a bite of bacon. He didn't know what he was going to do without Beth.

Finished with their breakfast, Daryl took the paper plate and threw it in the trash. The good plates and silverware hadn't been washed yet. That would also have to be completed today. Beth followed Daryl with her eyes until she noticed Martha hobbling towards her. It was obvious she needed a cane or at least some kind of assistance in walking. Maybe Daryl could help with that later; find a cane on one of his runs, Beth thought. "Bethy!" Martha called, laughing with a wrinkled smile. Daryl had returned, sitting down across from Beth once again. "Don't forget we gotta give Charlotte her quilt," she said, pinching Beth's cheek quickly.

"Of course, I wouldn't forget, Martha," Beth smiled and stood, stepping out from the picnic table's bench. "Daryl, I'll see yah later?" She asked. "Dunno when, but got lots ta do today."

Daryl nodded. Beth turned to follow Martha. "One sec, Beth," he said erecting himself. She whirled, looking at him with a curious gaze. He draped an arm around her thin frame, pulling her close. He looked on to Martha, who was all smiles watching the pair of them. He leaned in, the scruff of his beard tickling the delicate skin of her ear. "Don't let it get to yah too much, okay?" He asked, finding her eyes. Beth smiled ruefully, but nodded. He always knew what to say to her. Daryl's arm fell from her shoulders, and watched as the woman he learned to be Martha and Beth walk away.

Beth had intertwined her arm with Martha's giving the elderly woman something to lean onto while they walked. She hated seeing her arthritis and bad back affect her so. They were headed to wherever Martha lived to retrieve the quilt and deliver it to Charlotte. It had been quite silent between the two of them until they wandered away from the bustle of breakfast at the carousel. "He's a handsome young man," Martha smiled, sneaking a peek at the blush creeping onto Beth's cheeks.

"That he is, Martha. That he is," Beth agreed with a grin. She wasn't going to lie to her, Daryl was attractive. More than that, she wasn't going to lie to herself and say that Daryl wasn't good looking. But it had just been him and her for so long that she hadn't acknowledged it. It wasn't the most important thing to her at the time. But now that she thought about it, she couldn't let herself forget it.

Martha stumbled a little on the uneven gravel, but Beth was there to keep her steady. She was glad she had given her something to hold onto or she might have fallen and broken something. "What you blushin' for, child?" She asked, poking fun. "If you's have been datin', you don't need ta blush!"

That earned a laugh from Beth. "Martha, we're not together, we're just friends. Always have been," Beth admitted, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. Martha batted at her arm playfully, clucking her tongue at the young girl. Martha was old, lived a long life. She knew when two people were meant to be together.

"Honey, don't kid yourself! I see the way that man looks at yah. Whenever yer not looking, he's starin' at cha," Martha announced loudly. The blush already on Beth's cheeks was burning hotter. She had no idea that Daryl looked at her so much. "You's have been together for what, two years? Yah ain't even kissed once?" Martha was surprised when Beth shook her head.

Beth felt awkward talking to anyone about this, especially Martha. "We've been together for about six…" Beth revealed. Beth shuffled through her memories of back at the farm when she had first met Daryl. He was rough around the edges, but she could see he was a good man. Especially when she heard that he had almost died looking for that little girl. That was the moment that she knew he had a good heart despite anything and everything he had been through. "But no, we never kissed or nothin'. It ain't like that."

Martha shook her head, still not believing what Beth was trying to sell her. "Bethy," she said, patting her arm lovingly. "In this world, we might as well take what we can. That man loves you whether he wants to admit it or not. And you love him, more than just platonically. Yah never know when he's gonna be gone, yah never know if _you're_ gonna be gone, Beth." Heat flooded through Beth's veins. Martha was right about one thing at least. They didn't know when they were going to die. It could be today, it could be tomorrow – they never knew.

By now, Martha had led Beth to her homestead, the chocolate shop – The North Pole. It was supposed to look like Santa's workshop. Beth could see exactly why Martha had chose to live here over any other place. It suited her. "I'll be right back," she said, withdrawing her arm from Beth's. Beth watched as she staggered away, disappearing into her house. A few moments later, she returned, the quilt draped over her arm. Beth held out her arm again to help Martha to wherever they were going. "Okay, onward. Charlotte and her family live in the coal mining museum, which is just right over there," Martha pointed.

Beth followed where she was pointing, finding a large wooden building resembling a mine entrance. It was pretty cool, actually. Martha started to pull Beth towards the building, not giving Beth enough time to feel nervous about the whole ordeal. "Yoo hoo!" Martha called as they approached.

A young girl emerged out of the dark entryway. She was about Beth's age, maybe a little older. It had to be one of Charlotte's grandchildren. "Martha! You made it! Charlotte's just in here, resting," the girl said, waving them on. The pair followed the girl inside the dim building. Though they lived there, they had decided to leave up all the memorabilia from the mining time. All the displays were still intact. Beth admired that.

Charlotte's granddaughter led them through a narrow hallway and into a janitor's closet. It was the safest place to put Charlotte in case of another repeat of a few days ago. "She'll be happy to see you both. She loves having visitors," the girl said, turning the knob for them to enter. Inside, on a blow up mattress and propped up with pillows lay Charlotte. Beth resisted the urge to suck in a breath.

The old woman was withering away to nothing. She was small, frail and even more wrinkled than Martha. "Martha!" Charlotte smiled, waving her hand awkwardly, a bracelet flopping around on her wrist. It was way too big for her small wrist to handle. Beth couldn't find any words to say. Martha slid her arm out of Beth's and shuffled forward.

"Hi, Charlotte! Some of the girls n' I made yah a quilt. We thought you'd like something ta keep yah warm this winter," Martha smiled, holding the quilt up for Charlotte to see. An instant grin spread across her lips upon seeing the bright fabric sewn together just for her. Martha looked back to Beth, nodding her head for her to come forward. "This is Beth, she helped make some a the squares. Wanna help me cover her, Bethy?" Martha questioned, holding out one end of the blanket towards her.

Beth obliged, taking one end of the blanket and helping to spread it across Charlotte's body. The instant it was done, Charlotte smoothed her knobby hands across the fabric. "Oooh!" She wailed. "I absolutely adore it! Thank you, both." Charlotte reached out and caught Beth's hand in hers; pulling it to her mouth and placing a soft, chaste kiss on her hand. Tears prickled at Beth's eyes. "We should go," she whispered, walking out of the room.

Beth walked Martha back to the pavilion in silence. She then returned back to their vacant home to retrieve the dirty laundry to be done. She slung it over her back, and made the trek back to the pavilion. The laundry was already underway, some of the girls singing and laughing, splashing sudsy water at each other. Martha had taken time to set up bins for Beth. "Hey, Beth!" Alice smiled, ringing out a shirt of Will's.

She returned the smile. "Hi, Alice," she said, setting down her bag of laundry and opening the drawstring. She tried to not let the events of last night and today get to her too much, but it was hard. She tried to remember what Daryl had told her, tried to take the advice, but even now that seemed impossible. She would just have to get it out of her mind.

Beth went to work on the laundry, dunking each item – saving Daryl's blood soaked clothing for last – and then rinsing and hanging to dry. It was a process, but it was nice to have something routine in Beth's life at the moment. She ignored the curious glances that Alice and Martha both gave her. They both knew something was up with her. It felt like hours went past when the others had finished their loads of laundry. "Beth, do yah wanna go get some lunch with us?" Alice asked, dumping out her dirty water bin.

"Nah, I gotta finish up here. I wanted to sew some a Daryl's pants. I'll find something ta eat later," she sloughed off her offer, focusing on the shirt in her hands. All she really wanted was to be alone. Alice shrugged her shoulders and headed off with the rest of the ladies towards the carousel. Beth hadn't realized how much time had passed or that her stomach was growling. But she had to get her work done.

Daryl would probably wonder where she was. He was quick when it came working on vehicles, that much she knew. He had hotwired a number of cars when they were on the run. He would have no problem with a couple of golf carts. Beth finished up with the laundry, the dirty water tinged pink from all the gore of Daryl's outfits. She dumped the dirty water into the grass and turned to some of Daryl's pants that she had left dry to sew their knees up.

She pulled out the needle and thread, cursing at herself for forgetting her thimble. With cold fingers, Beth started to sew the gaping holes shut, pricking her finger on more than one occasion. She was frustrated with herself. She was frustrated that they couldn't save Piper, how she acted around Charlotte and now she was pushing everyone away. Beth finished two pairs of jeans and moved onto the third, starting the stitching.

It was halfway through when she stabbed her finger, crying out at the bead of blood welling up to the surface. Before she knew it, her finger was being grabbed. Daryl had plucked up her finger, sticking it in his mouth and sucking the blood away. "Should use a thimble next time," he said, sliding a plate of food towards her. "I was lookin' for yah, when Alice said yah were still here. What's wrong?" He asked, sitting down across from Beth. His face was grease stained from working on the golf carts, but he didn't seem to care.

Beth sighed, abandoning her sewing for the plate of salad in front of her. She stabbed at the leaves. "That woman looked like a livin' walker, Daryl. But she was so happy, I don't know how she stays so happy when she knows she's gonna die any moment," she admitted, finally taking a bite of her abused salad.

"We're only human, Beth. We have feelings, emotions. Sometimes… they just overwhelm us. I think yah just need to take some time off or occupy yourself. Maybe pray some," he suggested. He picked up a pair of finished jeans, admiring her handiwork. "Not bad," he admired, running a hand over the stitches. "But maybe next time yah could stitch in some skull n' crossbones. Kinda wanna edge up my style a bit."

Daryl smiled, waiting for Beth to laugh, but she only glared. "Oh, shut up," she laughed, stabbing her salad again and eating it. It was always him that made her smile and laugh when she was down. And maybe Martha was right, maybe it wasn't platonic, but something more.

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**So who likes Martha? Beth kinda sees her as a mother figure. The conversation between her and Martha is important and will come into play later! **


	12. What Lies Beyond The Fence

**Okay, who else is super uneasy about tonight's episode? I know I am! Thanks to a fan on tumblr, they pointed out that the song "Things We Lost in the Fire" by Bastille kinda explains this story pretty well! Give it a listen? Anyways, I'm not very happy with this chapter, but enjoy it anyway!**

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Daryl wiped his brow with a dirty hand, smearing more black soot across his forehead. He had spent hours bent over the engines of the golf carts, feeling out loose parts and tubes. But nevertheless, he had managed to fix all three golf carts that were in the maintenance building. Skeez stood by, watching all the modifications that Daryl made, trying to take note if he ever needed to fix one while he was by himself.

He replaced the seat to the frame and he was finished. He took out his red bandana and wiped off his hands and face. Skeez nudged his arm. "Ready to go get some lunch? I heard it's mostly greens today," he said, throwing wrenches and other tools back into the toolbox. Daryl nodded, stuffing his handkerchief back into his pocket and exiting the maintenance building.

It took them no time to get to the carousel and see that it was already crowded with the park's ravenous residents. His eyes scanned the crowd for his favorite blonde, but caught no glances of her. Instead, he found Will and Alice in line. "Hey, Alice, have you seen Beth anywhere? I knew she was doin' laundry n' other stuff. I thought she'd be here by now," he asked, falling into line behind them.

Alice picked an apple out of the basket, turning to Daryl. "She's still at the party pavilion, washin' up your clothes," she said. "Somethin's off with her, Daryl." Alice's face fell when she thought of Beth. Daryl already knew what was wrong. Alice didn't have to inform him about what. He thanked her, grabbed an apple and devoured it quickly. He filled a plate with salad and headed off towards the pavilion to find Beth.

"Young man! Yoo hoo!" Someone called. Out of curiosity, Daryl turned to see who the young man in question was. But it was Martha, and he was the one she was calling after. Martha stepped off the carousel, waving her arm frantically to catch Daryl's attention. "Young man, why don't you do me a favor n' help an old lady out." Daryl complied, hooking his arm through Martha's. He didn't want to have to deal with this woman at this moment. All he was worried about was Beth. "Now, where were yah headin'?

Martha smiled up at Daryl, her toothy grin still capturing her perky happiness impeccably. "I was just goin' ta find Beth n' give her this," he said, motioning towards the salad he was balancing in his free hand. Martha croaked a laugh.

"That girl," Martha started, patting Daryl's forearm affectionately. "That girl loves yah very much. Ain't she a beauty?" Martha asked expectantly, squeezing his arm in anticipation as they walked. Daryl didn't know exactly where he was taking her, but he didn't want to be rude. Beth popped into his mind, her blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and thin frame. He always knew she was beautiful, but he never thought it was an opinion he was allowed to have.

He was well above her age, but in this world, no one seemed to care unless they were a child. And Beth was far off from being a child. "She's beautiful," he answered. It was the answer that she wanted to hear.

Martha came to a stop, unlinking her arm from his. "Six years yah've known each other?" Martha asked. Daryl counted quickly in his head and nodded. It was going on six years. "And you two haven't confessed your feelin's for each other?" She asked in all seriousness. Daryl stared at the woman he had just met earlier in the day. He was shocked to see that she was so blunt. He blinked, not exactly knowing what to say to her.

She laughed at his silence. "Son, yah can't tell me yah haven't thought of her that way at least once!" She asked, expecting an answer this time. Daryl thought back to the two years he spent in isolation with Beth. He _had _indeed thought of Beth in that way once or twice. He had seen her changing once before they slept. She was changing her bra and he had seen more than he bargained for. The next morning, he had woken up with morning wood. It was then that he realized that it was her body that made him have that reaction. "Boy! You're lost even thinkin' 'bout her now!" Martha exclaimed.

Daryl hadn't realized that he had lost his train of thought. "We're just friends, Martha," he told her, trying to end the conversation as soon as possible. He needed to get to Beth.

She clucked her tongue at him, shaking her head. "Son, no matter how much yah don't wanna admit it, yah love her. N' it's more than just friends," she poked his chest with a bony finger. "Now go on n' get. Take your girlfriend her lunch." She pushed him to go, her point was already made and she had nothing else to say. Daryl didn't argue. He made his way away from Martha to go find Beth.

- Present time -

After finishing her salad, Daryl had convinced Beth to head back to the carousel, leaving time for the laundry to finish drying. Daryl had wanted a proper lunch, not just an apple. It'd be good for them to be around other people too, it would help Beth keep her mind preoccupied. Beth shivered from the wind as they walked. "It's gonna be a cold winter," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear to keep it from blowing about.

Daryl nodded. "I'll try ta find some warmer clothes when I'm out on runs," he said, thinking of their dwindling wardrobe. Most of his clothes were fraying and gaining more holes by the day. He thought of Beth's fingers and how they would suffer if he didn't find more clothes before the snow started to fall. "Maybe a hat n' gloves. I'll find a warmer jacket if yah'd like."

"I hate that you're always the one goin' out in danger. I should go with yah sometime," she said, trying to catch his gaze. Both her and Daryl knew that she could handle herself beyond the fences. Even Alice and Will knew it. But the longer Daryl could keep her alive, the longer she'd stay inside the fences. Daryl shot her a look. He needn't say anything to get his point across to Beth. "It was just a suggestion." But she thought of what Martha had told her. It was just a matter of time until either of them was gone. She wanted to keep Daryl safe, but she couldn't keep him confined to the park. He'd go insane.

Moments later, they had arrived at the carousel. The bulk of the group had dispersed to continue living their own lives. A few families were still sitting and talking, picking at the leftovers of their meals. Alice and Will were there talking amongst themselves at their own table. "I'm gonna get somethin' to eat," Daryl said. "I'll meet yah at the table then." Beth nodded, splitting off from Daryl to where Will and Alice were seated.

"Hey," Beth smiled, stepping over the bench and sitting across from them. She ran her fingernail through the grain of the wood on the table, watching as they smiled back at her. Alice could instantly tell that Beth was better – whatever was troubling her from before Daryl had seemed to cure. "I finally got all the laundry done n' the sewing," Beth said. "Gonna go n' get it once Daryl's finished eatin'."

Alice nodded, imagining her own laundry strung up on the line blowing in the breeze. She'd have to go get it with her. "I'll go with yah," she said. Beth smiled; glad that she wouldn't have to be doing it alone. Before anyone could say anything else, Daryl had sat down next to Beth, his plate clattering to the table's surface. He had piled his plate up with as much as what was left. He was disappointed that there wasn't any meat served, but he'd have to make due with what they had. He could hunt squirrels later.

Will leaned forward on his elbows, cradling his chin on his intertwined hands. "So, Daryl when we gonna go out on another run?" He asked. "I've been gettin' some complaints n' requests from the others. Don't want them gettin' too riled up…" he trailed off, his eyes trained on his fellow huntsman.

Daryl swallowed the content's of his mouth and wiped at his lips with the back of his hand. "It's gotta be soon. We could go tomorrow if yah'd want," he quipped, shoving another forkful of salad into his mouth. Will conceded, seeing it was better to go sooner rather than later.

"I'd like to go with," Beth spoke up, waiting to gauge Daryl's reaction. She knew he didn't want her going beyond the fences as he acknowledged just a little bit ago, but she still wanted to go. It had been awhile since she's been outside of the park. Daryl almost choked on the food he was scarfing down. He thought he told her no and he thought she understood that. "Don't look at me like that, Daryl. I can take care a myself. 'Sides, yah can use all the help yah can get."

Beth was aware he was angry, but he'd never yell at her – not with Will and Alice around at least. "C'mon, Daryl," Will encouraged. "She'll be fine. There'll be a bunch of us 'round. Let her come with," he said, a smirk pulling on the corners of his mouth. His gaze was hard as stone, but Beth wasn't afraid. She knew she'd hear a lot more from him later, but she didn't care.

"Fine," Daryl growled, stabbing at his meal again. Beth didn't think anything of it. She remembered the training Daryl had put her through ages ago – with his crossbow, with her knife, the tracking sessions he had put her through. Beth was well enough equipped to go out on a run. She looked to Alice, just catching her wink.

Alice stood, pushing off the table. "Well, Beth. Why don't we go get the laundry?" She asked, stepping over the bench and extending her hand towards Beth. Alice thought it was best to make an escape now and let them handle it on their own. Beth nodded and took her proffered hand and stood. She looked back to Daryl, but he was too focused on his meal to even watch them leave.

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"He's angry," Beth said, pulling the clothespins off the line and tossing them into small cardboard box on the ground between her and Alice. She folded the shirt in her hands and laid it in the wash basket. "He's never gonna let me go," Beth continued, dread coursing through her veins. She was starting to regret her decision. She didn't like making Daryl angry. He was all she really had left that she cared about truly.

There was Alice, but she and Will were nothing compared to him. "Don't say that," Alice said, glaring at her from behind a pair of pants strung up on the line. "He can't keep yah locked up in here your whole life. He's gonna have ta realize that you'll have ta leave sooner or later. Might as well be productive when yah do," Alice said. It made a lot of sense to her and Beth, but she was going to have a tough time getting it through Daryl's thick skull.

Beth sighed. "I just hate the fact that he's angry…" Beth said, taking down another piece of clothing. It was one of Daryl's flannel shirts. Despite the soap, it still smelled like him.

"It just shows he cares, darlin'," Alice smiled, making her way closer to Beth. Her wash basket was much fuller than Beth's. It was only then that Beth realized she had only taken down Daryl's clothing and not hers. She quickly tore down her own clothes, the pins popping off and into the browning grass. "If he wasn't angry, then I'd be worried," Alice said, taking down the last piece of Beth's laundry, folding it and handing it to her.

Beth sucked on the inside of her lip. "I don't know, Alice," Beth said, stooping down and grabbing her basket. "But thanks for the words of encouragement. Time to go tackle the beast," Beth said, turning to retreat back to the house. She was dreading going back and having to talk to Daryl. Though she regretted it, she wasn't going to back down. She was going on the run tomorrow. Alice patted Beth's back with one last smile before she headed off to speak to Daryl.

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When Beth arrived back at the house, Daryl was inside on his bed, back resting against the wall. In his hands were a short knife and a branch. It was odd to see him like this for Beth. But nonetheless, he was sharpening the branch with the knife, shucking off pieces of wood that collected in his lap. Beth paused at the doorway to their bedroom. He hadn't acknowledged her – and Beth had to admit, that hurt a little.

But with a surge of confidence, Beth pushed through the room to her own bed on her own side of the room. She went through the motion of putting away their clothing into separate piles in the corner. With her back turned to Daryl, he let himself watch her. He had cooled down a little from their lunch, but he was still upset.

He quickly averted his eyes as she turned and sat on her bed, pulling up her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs. Her bright blue eyes were trained on him, watching as he continued to shape the branch into a sharp point. "Daryl," Beth finally said, taking the initiative. His eyes flashed up to meet hers, but said nothing. He really didn't want to talk about it. "You can't stop me from going tomorrow despite how angry you are at me right now."

Daryl huffed, the knife stilling in his hand. He shook his head. "I know, Beth. I know. I just can't risk losing you, too," he said. He kept her gaze for a while longer before returning to the branch and knife in his hand. "If I lost you…" he trailed off.

"Stop," Beth said. "Nothing is going to happen to me. Yah trained me well, Daryl. You know this. I'm only as good as I am _because_ I learned from yah. Not anyone else. You," Beth said. She didn't know why she couldn't get it through his head that she was going to be okay beyond the fence. It had been awhile since she had been out there, but in this world, that didn't matter.

He digested what he was telling her. And she was right. She would be fine out there. Beth wouldn't be by herself. He'd be there, and the other men. "Okay," he whispered. He watched as the tension slipped out of her shoulders. He could relax now, too. He didn't like to fight with her. "But you're stayin' with me the whole time, got it, Greene?" He told, more than asked.

Beth smiled. "You got it, Mr. Dixon."

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**Hope you enjoyed that chapter! Coulda been better, but I think that's just me nitpicking! Leave a review on your way out please (:**


	13. Numb

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! Took me awhile to write, actually! It's a little slow, but there's a shock at the end for yah! Please, don't forget to leave a review at the end. It means a lot to me to hear back from everyone! Also, I've mapped out the rest of this story and i've got about a dozen chapters to go before it's all over!**

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It was early when they woke. The sun hadn't even broken the horizon when Daryl shook Beth awake. He had been awake for some time already – his nerves had woken him up only hours after he had fallen asleep. The group was leaving at the break of dawn, which didn't leave them much time to get dressed and situated with their weapons. Reluctantly, Beth tore herself from her newly made bed with clean sheets and stood, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

She was tired, her joints stiff. She rolled her shoulders as she stalked over to her clothes. "Layers, Beth," Daryl said, packing a bag for each of them. He wanted to be cautious even though, in reality, nothing was likely to happen. He packed it with a few snacks, extra pieces of clothing, a flashlight and other necessities in case they were to get separated and couldn't make it back to the park.

Beth waved off Daryl's order, but she would abide by them. Layers would help with the walkers, that and it was cold. Beth pulled on an extra pair of socks, a pair of jeans that had seen better days, a sweater, a zip-up hoodie and one of Daryl's flannels. She closed one of the buttons but left the rest of them undone. She belted on her knife, situating it in the middle of her thigh. "Hair," Daryl barked from his bed.

Her blonde tresses were cascading over her shoulders. Beth was about to tie it up in a bun, but Daryl had jumped the gun. "Daryl, relax. Everything is going to be fine," Beth said, grabbing the hair tie off her wrist and tying up her hair. Only a few wisps escaped around her face, but that she couldn't help. Daryl took a deep breath, reminding himself not to be so uppity.

"Sorry," he murmured, pushing off the bed and standing. "Here," he continued, holding out a pistol to her. The more weapons she had on her, the better he would feel. Knowing she didn't need it, Beth took it anyway, tucking it against her hip opposite of her knife. He stalked to the door then, peeking out the door. "Sun's almost up, we should get goin'." Beth nodded, agreeing, trying to ignore the small rumble in the pit of her stomach. She wished she could have eaten breakfast, but this is what she wanted.

Daryl doubled back to his bed, grabbing the backpacks off his mattress. He handed one of them to Beth and he kept the other for himself. He clasped her shoulder, catching her gaze and nodding. He didn't want this to be the wrong decision. He didn't want this to be the last day he spent with Beth. But he couldn't turn back now. Beth nodded back, and grabbed his hand from her shoulder and towing him out of the house without another thought.

Will met them at the gates with a smile. He was mingling with the others, waiting for Daryl and Beth to arrive. "So, the beast still let yah come?" Will asked playfully. Beth smiled, looking up to Daryl. He hadn't smiled. "Oh, Daryl," Will said. "Lighten up. I'll help keep an eye on her, ain't nothin' gonna happen."

He nodded his thanks to Will. He could breathe a little better knowing that he wasn't going to be the only one paying particularly close attention to Beth. "She's comin'?" David asking, raising an eyebrow in suspicion when he realized Beth was dressed to go out with them. Beth nodded, her gaze equally distasteful. "But you're a girl."

"Your point is, David?" Daryl asked, stepping forward. This was the first time that a girl would be going out on a run in the history of the park. David shrank back into the group upon the sound of Daryl's gruff voice. He shrugged. Daryl addressed the group. "That's right, Beth is comin' with us. If any of yah got a problem with it, yah can stay here. She can handle herself out there, that I ain't gonna doubt," he said. "Now, if we're ready, let's get the hell outta here."

No one had said anything about Beth coming with them again. Will nudged Beth forward, urging her to follow behind Daryl – who had pushed his way to the front of the group. She nodded and started moving forward. Once out beyond the fences, Beth couldn't help but look up at the sky peeking out from behind the leaves. It was getting brighter outside by the minute.

Beth walked between Will and Daryl, neither of them letting her wander away from their sides. As they walked, it felt more natural for Beth to just carry her knife in her hand rather than have it in her sheath. This, Daryl wasn't opposed to. Will had his machete and he had his crossbow. The others had a range of weapons from rifles, to pistols to varying lengths of blades. "How much farther?" Beth asked, nudging Daryl's arm slightly.

Will chuckled. "Darlin', we gotta go farther each time," Will answered for Daryl, knowing his answer was going to be a whole lot nicer probably. "But we're soon there," he said, studying the blade of his machete. There were still bloodstains on it. It reminded Beth that she was still in danger out here. It wasn't like how she lived everyday anymore.

It felt like hours they had been walking. It was quiet and cold. Beth thought back to the park, back to Martha and Alice and the kids. They'd probably be eating breakfast by now, or going on a walk or playing with their toys. She was happy that she could come out on the run. It made her feel more productive, it made her feel important. Just then, she felt Daryl's fingers intertwine with hers, squeezing tightly and jerking her to a stop.

It was that moment that she heard the walker's hisses and growls. It was just one, but that didn't mean anything anymore. "You got it?" Daryl asked, his gaze focused on Will's. Will nodded once and broke off from the group, approaching the walker shambling towards them. He jogged forward as he got closer, raised his machete and brought it down in the middle of the walker's head. He jerked it free, the blade earning a slick coat of crimson. Daryl's hand fell away from hers now that the immediate danger was gone.

"Not much farther. C'mon," Daryl said, moving the group forward again. They had passed a few buildings that were vaguely familiar to Beth. It was almost a year that they had been at the park. The only thing she remembered of the year after the prison was the moments she shared with Daryl – none of her surroundings or the people she met. It was just Daryl.

A while later, they had broke out of the woods and onto the highway. Off in the distance, Beth could see just the shadow of a building through the rays of the sun. They stayed in a uniform line by the side of the road, keeping their eyes on the trees, the distance and the road beyond them. As they got closer, Beth realized it was a truck stop. She figured it was probably picked clean, but they were going to try anyway.

They peered inside the dusty, dirty windows, looking for any sign of movement inside. "Take it easy," Daryl said, addressing the group. He elbowed the glass window of the gas station a few times. "Give it some time," he continued. He turned to Beth then, some of the group wandering off to go pee or stretch their legs. "Yah all right? Need some water or anythin'?"

Beth shook her head. "Daryl, I'm fine," she said. She tucked her knife into her sheath for the time being while they waited. "N' I'll stay by your side. Eveythin' is gonna be okay," she said, punching his shoulder lightly.

He smirked at her. "Just do me a favor n' take a drink for me," he said. Beth rolled her eyes but slipped off one of the straps of her backpack, undid the flap and fished out the water bottle. She took a small drag of the warming water just to sate him. He nodded in approval. Beth held out the open bottle towards him, offering him some. "Nah, got my own."

"Daryl!" David called. "We got one." David and a few of the other younger members were standing in front of the window, watching the walker trying to get to them. Beth quickly screwed the cap back on her bottle and situated the backpack on her back again. She unsheathed her knife in anticipation. She watched as Daryl concocted a plan with Will silently.

She stood amongst the group as she watched them carry out their plan. Will grabbed the handle of the door, catching the attention of the walker inside. Once he started to stumble towards Will and Daryl, Will yanked open the door and Daryl fired, successfully killing it.

It got darker as they ventured further inside the store. Beth kept her eyes peeled as she moved down the aisle with Daryl. Surprisingly, contrary to what Beth thought before, this store was barely touched. "I told yah, Daryl," Beth smirked, nudging his elbow. "Nothin' is gonna go wrong. Not with you by my side." It felt good to know that she put so much faith in him. But if something were to happen, she wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

"Yah can only say that when we get back home," Daryl said. Beth laughed silently. "When we're safe." Beth nodded, but turned to the aisle by her side. She grabbed items she knew the group would be needing and placed them in her backpack.

By the time that Daryl and Beth had made their rounds through the store, both of their backpacks were weighed down with essentials. Beth had found herself a box of tampons and pads. She didn't get her period regularly anymore from not being as nourished as she should be, but they would be helpful when she did get it. Daryl said nothing when he saw her slip them into her bag. It only concreted in his mind how much of a woman she was.

Daryl and Beth made their way to the front of the store. "Everyone done? Let's make it back by lunch!" Small shouts of happiness echoed throughout the store. Slowly, their companions started to file out of the aisles towards the entrance, their bags all filled to the hilt with goods. Daryl nodded with pride at his group. Will made his way towards his close friends. "Let's get outta here," he said, clasping Will on the shoulder.

It was later than they thought when they had arrived back at the park. They had missed lunch and would have to find food on their own if they wanted to eat before dinner. Daryl and Beth dropped their bags off at the house before heading out to the shower house. It felt nice to be back inside the fences. Though Beth was excited to go on the run today, she was satisfied with staying behind when the next one would come around.

The pair grabbed their toiletries and hightailed it to the shower house. They were eager to get the greasy layer of sweat off their skin. They stripped, respecting each other's privacy despite the fact that Beth now knew about the scars that marred his back. Daryl smiled against the warm stream of water as he heard Beth sing. She sounded happy and alive – it was one of his favorite sounds in the world.

Daryl had finished showering first, dressing quickly in a clean outfit and sat just listening to the sound of her voice. It was a soft song, almost drowned out by the sound of her shower, but he could hear her nonetheless. It reminded him of the song he sang to her in the funeral home. He turned around when he heard her shower shut off. She took her time drying off and getting dressed. She tied her hair into a braid down her back.

"Wanna go see if there's any food left over?" She asked, finally acknowledging the rumble in her stomach. He nodded, standing and grabbing his crossbow. He slung his arm around her shoulder and escorted her out of the shower house.

They crossed the field in silence; counting how many times Beth's stomach could growl on the way over. "So I think an 'I told you so' is in order," Beth smirked, looking up at Daryl. He couldn't stop his own lips from twitching into a smile. Daryl was hoping that Beth wouldn't say anything else about the way he acted. He realized now that he was just being overprotective.

"Alright, alright," Daryl waved her off, pushing her away lightly. "You were right, I was wrong," he said, almost gritting his teeth. But he knew it was what she wanted to hear. Beth loved the light moments they could share in this world that was all about death.

They were almost across the field, coming up on the carousel when Will and Alice came into view. Something was wrong, Beth could tell that much immediately. Alice was in tears, spewing rushed words to her husband. He tried to console her but nothing was seeming to do the trick. He pressed her into his arms, cradling her from whatever seemed to be troubling her.

Beth and Daryl hurried forward to supply their help if need be. "Alice!" Beth shrieked, her eyes wild and wide as they approached. "What's wrong?" She asked, shooting Daryl a worried glance. He met her with an even gaze.

Alice peeled herself away from her husband's grasp, catching Beth's face between her hands. "It's Martha," Alice wept. "She's dead, Beth. She's gone." Alice flung herself forward into Beth's arms, though Beth did not return the hug. She was numb, ice raced through her veins. Daryl watched as her face drained of color and tears collected in her eyes and cascaded down her face in sadness. He wished he could save her from the pain she was feeling, but not even he could protect her from this.


	14. Lay to Rest

**I apologize for the little break in updating this story. I had a long week at work and I started writing a new story; Darkest Dawn. Check it out if you'd like. It's been getting good reviews, hopefully you'll like it too if you haven't read it! Anyway, enjoy the chapter! As always, don't forget to leave a review on your way out! (:**

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Beth didn't want to see Martha's corpse. She remembered the pain of seeing her father's bloody body and if she could, she'd avoid that with Martha. But she couldn't help the agony that she already felt from Martha's death. She thought about the advice Martha had given her in the days leading up to her death and Beth thought she should have taken them a little more seriously.

It felt as if she were detached from her own body. She couldn't feel Alice weeping in her arms and Daryl and Will almost didn't exist to her anymore. She was trapped inside her mind with her depressing dark thoughts. "What happened?" She whispered, pulling back from Alice.

Her eyes were watery and red-rimmed. She almost looked worse than when she had lost her son. "One of them said it was a heart attack," she gulped. Beth shook her head. This couldn't be real. She was waiting for the pain to wake her up out of her nightmare, but that moment never came. This was real and she was going to have to overcome it. Her eyes drifted to Daryl. He was regarding her carefully, his face full of sorrow.

Beth had all but lost her appetite. If anything, she wanted to throw up. Daryl drew her into his side, Beth's arm snaking around his back. "I'm so sorry," he said, closing his eyes as he embraced her in a hug. Alice folded herself into her own husband's arms, crying into his chest once more.

She took a deep breath. It killed her even more to hear Daryl apologizing for her death. He always seemed to handle death better than Beth, but this time was different. This was Martha. She was a kind soul and always so wise and optimistic. She had formed a bond with Martha so strong that she could consider her a mother. Beth looked up to him, meeting his equally blue gaze. "We need to bury her. Tonight," she said. Daryl didn't argue. He knew this was her way of letting go and it would be good for her.

She looked to Alice and Will, who had also heard her comment. She nodded. "She's still in her house. No one knew what to do with her," Alice said, sadness drowning her voice. Beth nodded, knowing exactly where she lived. She had only been there once, but she knew how to get there. Beth threaded her hand with Daryl's, her fingers fitting into place perfectly between his. He gave her a reassuring squeeze to let her know he was there for her no matter what.

He would be her strength when she couldn't bare to stand. He wanted to tell her everything would be all right, but he couldn't promise that. Not in this world. Another thing he couldn't tell her was that he was scared. He was scared because Martha died and the conversation he held with her just the day before had come back to haunt him. Martha had told him to cherish what he had when he could. He never thought that lady would be dead the next day. It made reality hit him hard.

He looked to Beth, stray tears still falling down her cheeks. He wanted to swipe them away and cradle her face, but now wasn't the time. Maybe when they were alone, but not now. Beth pulled him along towards wherever Martha lived, Alice and Will never far behind. Out of habit, Daryl had rubbed his thumb over her hand, drawing invisible patterns on her skin. But it was more for her comfort than his. After a few silent minutes, they had arrived to Martha's dwelling.

All of her lights were on inside. Just as they were about to enter, Kimber had exited, clicking the door shut behind her. "It was a heart attack," she said. "I was a nurse before the infection hit. I tried to help her but there wasn't anything I could do." She cast her gaze to the ground. She felt helpless and responsible for Martha's death. She knew how important she was to the group as a whole and she could do nothing to help prolong her life.

"It's okay," Alice said, drawing Kimber into a hug. "We were just going to bury her. Small service, nothing too elaborate. It's what she would have wanted," Alice said into Kimber's shoulder. "You're more than welcome to come and join us." Politely Kimber declined, wanting to be by herself to mourn. Everyone could understand that and didn't protest her departure. Taking deep breaths, everyone steeled themselves before they entered Martha's home. They didn't know what to expect. Beth was just glad that Martha wasn't going to be bloodied or her neck ripped open. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle seeing that.

In that moment, Beth had only realized now how long she and Daryl had been holding hands for. It hadn't felt awkward or drawn out. It had felt… right. Beth slipped her hand out of his and reached for the doorknob, twisting it open. She looked back to Daryl who only nodded for her to continue. He knew she could do it even when she doubted herself. Beth pushed the door open, moving through the threshold with Daryl, Alice and Will right behind her.

It hadn't taken long to find Martha. She was wrapped in a blanket in the middle of the living room. It softened the blow to see her form, not her face. However, it didn't stop the tears from falling. Beth and Alice sniffled at seeing her body. It only made it that much more real and irreversible. There was a crimson stain on the forehead portion of the blanket and everyone knew what that was from. Someone had spared them the pain of making sure she wouldn't return. Beth was thankful for that and so was everyone else.

Daryl and Will had wasted no time heaving Martha off the living room floor and into their arms. They had agreed to bury her in the field. It was wide, open and flowers bloomed there in the spring. It was the perfect place to bury her. The woman wasn't heavy to carry but it took them awhile to carry her to the field. Beth and Alice had stopped by the maintenance shed to grab shovels for the each of them. Beth wanted to help dig her final resting place. It was respectful and it just seemed to be what Martha would want.

The girls hurried back, trying to beat the quickly descending sun. Martha would be buried by sunset if they worked fast. They divvied out the shovels they brought back and started to dig out the grave to Martha's proportions. Beth and Daryl both liked that the digging gave them something else to focus on than the pain. Within the first few minutes all of them had earned a thick sheen of sweat over their foreheads. But with the four of them all digging, they were getting far.

Within the next ten minutes, Martha's grave was completed. Their effort had paid off. The sun hung just above the horizon, giving them enough light to still see properly to bury her. It was Martha's last day above ground. Beth slunk her shovel into the earth beside the pile of dirt they dug up. It was time to bury her almost mother.

Alice and Beth grabbed her legs while Daryl and Will took care of her upper half. They lowered her into the pre-dug grave, setting her down gently at the bottom. It fit her perfectly, no need for cramming or slumping. Before the pain could set in, Beth jerked her shovel out of the ground and started to fill in the missing dirt. She had to say goodbye. She couldn't dwell on Martha's death. She'd allow herself the night to mourn and that was that.

As Beth and the rest of them filled in the dirt from the pile, the sun finally dipped below the horizon. It seemed as if it stayed in the sky long enough for her to be buried and no longer. With their combined effort, all the dirt that had been dug was now replaced. Martha was gone from the world. Beth leaned on her shoulder, leaning slightly against Daryl. Alice broke the silence, telling a story about Martha from before Daryl and Beth had even been at the park. It brought tears to Beth's eyes, but the story she retold made her laugh. It really made her remember how much she loved the old woman.

Will told his own story. He didn't know Martha as well as Beth and Alice did, but he knew he still should say something. He hoped someone would do the same when he was dead. His speech was short and sweet, but perfect nonetheless. It was Daryl's turn to say his regards about Martha. What could he say? He had met her only once and in that one chance meeting, he had the perfect feel of who she was. "I only met Martha once," Daryl started, casting a glance towards Beth. "She gave me a great bit of advice that I really needed. She really knew the meanin' of life. She'll be truly missed not only by me but by everyone."

Daryl shoved his hands into his pockets. He didn't like talking about death. He liked to hide those feelings deep inside his mind. It was the way he survived in this world. But he'd do this for Beth and for Martha. That much she deserved. Daryl only wished he could say more. He wished he knew her better than what he did, but he couldn't change that.

Another silence settled upon them as the darkness encroached. Beth quickly said her peace, recapping how lovely a woman Martha was and how she felt like a mother to Beth. She had given her advice just the same she had to Daryl. Though neither of them saw that as a coincidence, they didn't question it. It was just Martha's personality to give pieces of her wisdom to the people closest to her. Alice leaned into her husband, her head cradled by his bicep. They took a moment of silence to remember Martha and her smile and her laugh.

But when that moment finally ended, Beth was still trying to hang on. "We should go," Alice said to Will. Neither of them particularly liked to be outside after dark. Especially not when winter was almost here. Beth hadn't even allowed herself to feel how cold it was or how numb her fingers were. Will nodded, holding his hand out for his wife to take. "Beth, we'll see yah later, okay?" Beth nodded, her eyes not leaving the sight of Martha's grave.

Without another sound, Will and Alice retreated to their own homestead in the laser tag building. It had been a long day for everyone and they needed their rest. The same went for Beth and Daryl, but Beth didn't want to leave. Not yet. "Beth, we should head back too," Daryl whispered, gazing at his companion. He was dead tired, his muscles tired from working all day. "We had a long day. We need to rest."

Though Beth had heard him, she didn't move. Instead, she sat down, crossing her legs at the foot of Martha's grave. "I think I'm gonna stay here awhile. Yah can go on n' get some sleep. I'll come home when I'm ready," she said, not looking at him. She waited to hear him retreat, to hear his footsteps fade off into the night, but the sound never came. Instead, he felt his knee press against hers. He had sat down beside her.

"I ain't gonna leave yah out here alone. If this is what yah need to mourn, I'll be here for it," he said, leaning back on his hands. He would have liked to have some blankets or warmer clothes, but this is what he was left with. He knew Beth had her own way of grieving. It wasn't the most ideal way to in this world, but he couldn't change that fact. Daryl thought Beth had a deep understanding of the world, or the world before anyway. He felt that she felt things too much. But he admired that. It was something he could never do.

Beth leaned against Daryl's shoulder, closing her eyes. She didn't know why she wanted to stay by Martha's grave, but she did. She just couldn't leave her yet. Daryl wrapped his arms around Beth, trying preserve as much body heat as possible. It was hours that they had spent by Martha's graveside. Daryl watched as the sun started to rise and only then had he realized that they had spent the whole night outside. Beth's head had ended up in his lap and he was petting her hair, cold fingers grazing her ear.

She had fallen asleep on him, but he couldn't bear to move her. She had finally looked peaceful in slumber. But he knew she needed a better place to sleep than on his leg. She'd have a nasty crick in her neck if she stayed like this much longer. Slowly and carefully, Daryl scooted out from underneath her and stood. He stooped down and lifted Beth into his arms. Her head lolled against his chest, small mumbles floating from her mouth. Daryl quickly made his way back to the house, lying Beth down in her own bed. He piled blanket upon blanket on top of her in hopes to warm her up some more. Daryl then lied down on his own bed, sleeping consuming him the moment his head hit the pillow.


	15. The Crimson Linings

**So, hopefully everyone will enjoy this chapter more than the last! A lot of you didn't leave reviews and I take it that most of you didn't like it? I tried my best with this chapter and hopefully you like it and makes up for the last. I like all the moments that Beth and Daryl have in this chapter, no matter how small they are. They're all significant to me. Leave a review please? (: Love you all! And thank you to Riain for helping me out with this chapter. Go check out her story "Respectfully, CMC Dixon." It's one hell of a story and I'm hooked! Tell her I sent yah over!**

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In the weeks following Martha's death, the snow had started to fall, blanketing the park in a deceiving clean whiteness. The park had become quiet. Only a few people ventured from their homes into the cold. The low temperature had stilled the walkers, but some of them still tried to get past the fences. They were no trouble for the men going out on runs. Daryl had learned to ignore them. But he couldn't ignore how Beth was acting.

Beth had become a recluse. She had become addicted to the warmth her bed had given her. She would leave the house on occasion to help with the dishes or laundry, but other than that, she would stay inside curled up under her mountain of blankets. It didn't feel the same without Martha there. She would think about the stories she would never hear from her. Daryl would still go out on his runs, providing for the group, but given Beth special attention.

He'd bring her back cans of soup, heating them for her and spooning them into her, sometimes against her will. But he made sure he kept her full and healthy. The cold was taking its toll on Beth; winter was not her favorite season. Daryl could hear her crying some nights when the darkness had become too much for her to handle. But he'd pretend not to hear. She tried to conceal her tears and it would have only made it worse if he acknowledged it.

As the winter dragged on, Daryl had started to sleep in the same bed as Beth. They could both sleep better with their combined body heat and with the reassurance that they were both there for each other. It had become so routine that neither of them had to ask to sleep together anymore. It went from being a rare occasion to every night was spent together cramped on the small blow up mattresses. It made Beth feel better. She could finally sleep peacefully knowing that Daryl was right by his side.

He had enjoyed it as well, until one morning. Daryl had woken up early. His arms curled around Beth's stomach, his face buried in her sunshine hair, her bottom tucked tightly against him. His body had reacted. He instantly recoiled, ashamed of himself. But he couldn't help it. He couldn't deny that Beth was attractive. But even if he were to act upon those urges, now was definitely not the time. Beth's mind was on autopilot, she was in no mindset to have a boyfriend or a lover and he respected that. Maybe when spring came, but not now.

Beth couldn't remember the last time she had seen Alice or her husband. She had seen Alice a few times at laundry or dishes, but Alice was still grieving the same as Beth. Daryl had seen them more often than not. Will was in the same boat as him. He could only be there for his wife and Beth in hopes that she would soon get better. That moment came much sooner than Daryl or Will had originally thought. It had seemed as if a switch was flipped in Beth. The light had returned to her eyes, the spark in her had been restored. She had started to spend more time out of her bed, attending more laundry sessions and going to more meals at the carousel. Daryl was glad to see the girl from before return and the ghost disappearing.

Though Beth had almost made a full recovery, her and Daryl still shared the same bed. Beth hoped that was one thing that would never cease. On this particular morning, Beth had woken up before Daryl; her pressing bladder had dragged her from her dreams. She didn't want to leave the warmth from underneath the blankets, but even if she wanted to, she couldn't. Daryl's hand was spread across her stomach, his last two fingers grazing the soft skin of her hips where her shirt didn't quite cover. He was on his side, his mouth almost grazing her shoulder. She couldn't wake him when he looked so peaceful, but she couldn't ignore the urge to use the bathroom.

Instead, she took this time to study his face. Every line and freckle couldn't escape Beth's wandering eyes. She couldn't deny the thoughts that crept into her mind. Daryl was handsome. She just never understood why she hadn't seen it before. Suddenly, Beth felt the pressure on her hip increase. Daryl's fingers indented her soft flesh as he rolled over, tightening the blankets around him. Beth let a small gasp escape her lips as she spotted the bulge underneath the blanket. His hands were no longer on her, but she knew what had caused his body to react just so. Beth wondered what he was dreaming of as she watched his eyes flicker behind his eyelids.

And just like that, his eyes had popped open. Beth shut her own quickly, wanting to give him some privacy in the moment. She knew that he had heard her crying what seemed like a million nights ago, this was the least she could for him. Feigning sleep, Beth heard Daryl groan and shift. A few moments later and she felt him stand and his footsteps had faded off. He had left. Beth would have rolled over and fallen asleep again if it were not for pressing matters. She sat up, stuffing her feet into her boots to go to the bathroom.

Before stepping out into the cold, Beth slipped her arms through her new jacket. Daryl had found it for her on a recent run. It was almost a luxury compared to her previous jackets. There were barely any tears or bloodstains on it. Beth wanted to keep it that way. Beth pulled on her hat as she stepped outside. Daryl was still in the front yard, taking a long drag from a cigarette. Her clunky footsteps had startled him. "Did know yah were up," he said, turning to face her. He flicked the cigarette to the frozen earth, stomping out the butt with his foot.

Beth nodded, folding her arms across her chest and tucking her hands into her armpits. She had forgotten her gloves. "Have'ta pee," she said, descending the two steps to the ground. The shower house wasn't far away. But it had been so long that Beth had been by herself that she almost invited Daryl along. Even she thought that would be too awkward to ask. "Everythin' all right?" She asked, noticing the weary look on his face. She knew what it was from, but he would be suspicious if she didn't even start to question it.

He dropped his gaze to the blanket of white fluff beneath his feet. He kicked at the snow, stomping it into the mushy, brown grass below. "'M fine," he said. "Wanna get some breakfast after yah go to the bathroom?" He was trying to ease her back into the routine of living again. He missed her calling some of the shots. She was there, but not all the way there. Pieces of her were still missing.

Beth walked a little closer to him. "That'd be nice," she smiled, blinking up at him. She then started towards the shower house without another word, leaving Daryl to gawk after her. She'd never cease to amaze him.

The turnout for breakfast was actually decent this morning. The weather was a little warmer than the past few days, but that didn't matter to Beth. Cold was cold. There were portable heaters placed sporadically throughout the tables to try and preserve some heat. Beth watched the kids play while she ate while, in turn, Daryl watched her. She looked so fascinated by the kids. He didn't think she was aware of the small smile on her face while she ate. The children were making snowmen, some throwing snowballs at each other. It made Beth think back to her childhood when she and Maggie would make snow angels.

She pushed her eggs around on her plate as she watched. She still hadn't worked up an appetite yet. If Daryl were to have his way, he would spoon feed her just like he did with the soup. Alice and Will had broken Beth out of her silent reverie. They had sat down beside Beth and Daryl. Alice was starting to look like her old self, which Daryl saw as a good sign. "Miss seein' you guys 'round," Will said, already digging into his plate of eggs and bacon. Beth smiled at her old friends; glad they were sewing themselves back into each other's lives.

Daryl agreed, stabbing the last bits of his meal onto his fork and swallowing it almost whole. He shot Beth a small glance, encouraging her to finish what was on her plate. He had only given her a small portion more than what she was used to. Baby steps towards her normal life. She took a small breath, eating the remainder of her meal with a few forceful bites. She felt too full, but it was a nice feeling to remember. "It's nice to see yah 'gain, Beth," Alice grinned. When they had both seen each other at laundry sessions, it had only been shadows of themselves that they seen.

"It is," Beth agreed. "I was thinkin'," she said. "Did yah wanna help out with dishes after breakfast?" Beth asked. She ignored the fact that Daryl stiffened beside her. He was worried about her. He didn't want her to push herself too far. She had just started getting better. But despite his look, Alice agreed. It was about time the both of them got back into the swing of things.

Daryl was reluctant to leave Beth, but he had his own stuff to do. There was going to be a run in a few days and they had planning to do. With it being so cold, they didn't want to have to travel far. They would take inventory of what they needed and only bring back the essentials. Daryl had taken careful time adding to the map of the park, expanding it to the area around it. He didn't want him or his group to get lost in the cold while out on the run. The chances of death were much higher now than they were in the previous months.

He watched her walk off with Alice, Beth shooting him a reassuring smile and wave goodbye. He couldn't deny it, he was proud of her. She had come such a long way from where she was just a few weeks ago. He also couldn't deny that maybe a little girl time could do her good. She was probably getting a little sick and tired of only seeing Daryl's face for weeks and being cooped up in the house. Daryl could only hope that wasn't true.

It was hours later when the sun was about to kiss the horizon that he had seen Beth again. She and Alice had arrived at the maintenance shed, coming to collect him and Will for dinner. Daryl was surprised that the whole day had slipped away from him. Beth still looked happy and that in and of itself satisfied him. He was worried that the day would be too much for her to handle. He had been wrong. Will was secretly happy that the girls had come to drag them away to eat. All the talk of routes and lists of supplies needed had given him a headache. Will wondered how Daryl could ever talk about this stuff all day.

Dinner had gone fairly well. Beth had eaten her fill and so had Alice. Everyone had to agree, this was the best day they had in ages. Beth and Daryl had parted ways with Alice and Will when night had fallen. Beth was tired. She didn't want to admit so, but Daryl saw the yawns she was trying to stifle. "If you're tired, I can take yah home," he said, smirking at her with a sideways glance.

Beth tried to play it cool, but she knew she could never outsmart Daryl. He could read her like an open book and he read every page as is. "Please," she asked, ignoring the growing smugness on his mouth. They walked home together, making troughs in the snow with their feet. That was the only thing that Beth liked about snow. She could see the footprints left behind by others. It reminded her that people were still alive around her.

Daryl held open the door as Beth slipped inside. He followed behind her, turning on the lamp and setting it in the middle of the room. Beth shivered, her fingers and toes already frozen. Another yawn forced its way out of her throat as she sat on their beds, kicking off her boots. Beth wasted no time stripping off her jacket and tossing it aside. All she wanted to do in the moment was get into her pajamas and crawl into bed.

As she stripped off her clothes, Daryl turned giving her the privacy that she deserved. Her skin prickled with goose bumps as the layers were peeled off and replaced with new ones. Daryl changed into his own nightclothes, each of them hyper aware of each other. Beth pulled on an extra pair of socks, trying to give warmth back into her toes. She crawled underneath the blankets, holding them open for Daryl to crawl under beside her. He deposited the crossbow next to the bed and joined Beth in the bed.

They situated themselves, their breathing seeming to fill up the whole room. "Daryl?" Beth asked after an eternity of silence. She was worried that she was waking him or irritating him, but she wasn't. Daryl was still staring at the ceiling like she was. He grunted in return. "Can you tell me a story? Something from before the return?" She asked, hope tingeing her voice. He turned his head to gaze at her. It was a rare occasion that Beth was ever curious about his life before the walkers had popped up. But he surrendered; she had earned it today. Daryl started his story without another word, Beth falling asleep to his deep, sleep-heavy voice, his words painting a picture of a simpler life in her mind.

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**I don't know if it's just me, but this chapter makes me happy and sad at the same time. What about you? Next chapter will be better, promise! Also, if you haven't check out my new story "Darkest Dawn." I will be continuing it!**


	16. Always Back to You

**I'm glad all of you enjoyed the last chapter. All I'm going to say is, the chapters after this one, aren't going to be so... slow. If you get what I mean (; I hope you all like where I take it. And I think you're all going to particularly like the next chapter. Some important things happen in this one that effect the story later on. Review please, it means a lot to me to hear from you! **

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The next morning, Beth had woken with a smile on her face. She had finally dreamed a dream of something other than replaying Martha's death in her mind. Instead, she dreamed of the story Daryl had told her. It was really a turning point in Beth's life. By the end of the week, she had made a full recovery. She was eating full portions at meals again. She started to attend more of the laundry and cleaning sessions with Alice. She had grown up more in a week than she thought she ever could.

She was aware of the feat she managed to overcome. Daryl had told her many times that he was proud of her. Each and every time it had brought a blush to her cheeks. Beth had noticed how differently he had started to look at her. There was something altered in his eyes but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Beth rolled over, the space beside her in the bed long abandoned. Daryl had an early morning meeting with some of the men to discuss the run heading out the next morning. Before he had left, he had made sure with Beth if it was okay for him to go.

In Beth's mind, she had no reason to keep him from going. Even after all this time that Beth had receded into her own mind, Daryl didn't ignore the other people living in the park. He had gone out on runs and helped keep them alive. Who was she to make that stop now because she had gotten better?

But she couldn't ignore the feeling that she was missing a part of her with Daryl being away for the first time in such a long time. Beth admitted to herself that she didn't like waking up alone. Beth dressed quickly, adding layer after layer to keep her body warm. She could always take a piece of clothing off if she got too hot. She pulled on her snow boots instead of her cowboy boots and wrangled her jacket onto her body. She was meeting up with Daryl, Will and Alice for breakfast at the carousel.

She crossed the field quickly, wanting to be near the warmth that the heaters brought. She was excited to see her friends again. Two weeks ago, she wasn't able to say that. She would have still been stuck in bed, staring at the bland walls of the house. Alice was waiting patiently at a table near the inner of the carousel. She was awaiting the arrival of her friends and husband for a while now. "There you are!" Alice exclaimed, launching herself from the table she had claimed.

Beth greeted her with a smile, but darted her eyes around the gathering crowd. Neither Daryl nor Will was anywhere to be seen. "Where are Daryl and Will?" Beth asked, pulling Alice in for a quick hug.

Alice tucked a dirty blonde lock of stray hair behind her ear. "I think they're still over at the maintenance building. What do yah say we make them up a plate n' take it to em'?" She asked. Beth faithfully agreed, remembering how Daryl had once done the same for her. Beth and Alice moved through the line quickly, piling up a plate for themselves and for their counterparts. They then headed out for the maintenance building across the park.

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By the time Beth and Alice had made it to the maintenance building, the temperature had seemed to have dropped ten degrees. Even with woolen gloves on, Beth's fingers were numb. Daryl and Will and other men that Beth didn't know the names of were bent over a table, charting out routes on the park map that Daryl had added to. Alice pulled off a glove, sticking her fingers into her mouth and whistling louder than Beth had ever heard before. Their heads had snapped towards the deafening sound. Daryl straightened, a smile spreading across his lips upon seeing Beth and the food she had brought.

He was starving, but he wasn't nearly anywhere finished with the work he needed to complete. "Hungry?" Beth asked, holding out the plate of eggs, bacon and homemade toast out for him to take. Daryl only answered by shoveling his mouth full of food. Beth giggled and shook her head. He licked his fingers clean, pulling her towards the table for her to sit and eat. Alice and Will had already claimed a table for themselves. "How'd you sleep?" Beth asked, starting to eat her own fill.

Daryl was just glad that she was starting to eat normally again. "I slept good," he said, taking a bite out of his toast. "N' you?" He was almost finished with his breakfast in a matter of minutes. But Beth wasn't surprised. Beth thought back to how she slept. In fact, she always slept well with Daryl by her side, but she didn't like waking up alone.

"Fine," was all she answered. Together, Daryl and Beth finished their breakfast around the same time that Alice and Will had. Both of them wished they could stay, but they weren't finished with their work. And the girls had to meet back at the party pavilions to help wash up the dishes from breakfast and from dinner the night before in time for lunch. They parted with a soft goodbye. "I'll see yah later?" Beth asked quietly, her eyes focused on Daryl's own matching blues.

He nodded, catching a fly away piece of hair and tucking it behind her ear, his fingertips brushing against the soft skin. "I'll see yah at lunch," he promised. He didn't want her to leave, but they both had jobs to do.

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Beth and Alice went right to work upon meeting up with the others at the party pavilion. They had many of plates, bowls and silverware to get through before lunch was ready. The day was turning out to be a good one. It was still cold and it didn't help that Beth's hand were constantly submerged in water for most of the time, but she was having fun. She was happy that she could finally laugh with her friends again. Martha hadn't crossed her mind once. She had moved on from that part of her life. No more moping around and weeks spent being catatonic in her bedroom.

After about three hours of work, they still weren't finished. Their fingers were stiff with cold and lunch would be soon. There was no way that they were going to be finished in time. Kimber was just about to announce something to the group, when something had caught their attention. Slurred voices had drifted into range. Chills ran down Beth's spine. She dried off her hands, slipping her gloves back on to warm up her fingers. Usually, no one bothered to stop by the party pavilions. It was a place of work, not a place to hang out. The other woman had frozen as well, abandoning their work to dry off their hands. Something was right and they had noticed too.

Beth stood, rounding towards the front of the pavilion they were working in. A group of men had stumbled into view, kicking up snow haphazardly as they approached the group of women. Alice hovered beside Beth, caution reading all over her face. Beth only shot her one glance, wanting to keep her attention pointed on the men. She could tell they were drunk. It was despicable – they were drunk and it wasn't even sundown yet. Beth hated day-drinkers. But she vaguely remembered once that she had a drink with Daryl during the day, but that had been a different situation.

Beth was just beginning to believe that the men were going to pass by harmlessly when one of them called out to them. "Hey!" He bellowed, thrusting his bottle of beer into the air towards them. "It's some ladies!" He smirked, elbowing his buddies, catching their attention and focusing it on the group of women huddled under the pavilion. Beth was numb and it wasn't from the cold.

"Go on," Beth instructed, folding her arms across her chest. "You have no means bein' here," she said sternly as they approached, drunken smiles splaying across their faces. Despite her directives, the group of men still advanced on the women. They snickered upon hearing her commands, but it only fueled their fire.

They had come too close for comfort to Beth and Alice. They were only a stone's throw away now. He could reach out and touch her if he wanted, but somehow, Beth's feet were anchored in place. She had to stand her ground. "Nah," the man drawled, gawking at her. He rolled back on his heels, trying to keep his balance. He mirrored her, crossing his arms across his own chest. "I think I like it here. Might join yah," he reached out, just as Beth feared and caressed her cheek rather roughly.

Beth reeled away from his touch, not wanting any man to touch her but Daryl. The thought sparked in her mind quickly. She never would have thought that before, but confronted with this situation, she never thought it was truer. "Don't touch me," she growled. She knew everyone was watching her. She could feel her friend's eyes on her back and she knew the men were watching her as well. They were waiting for this to play out.

"Ahhhh, c'mon, don't be like that," he smiled, a wicked glare glinting in his eye. It scared Beth to see him look at her like that. It scared Alice even more. "We could be good together, don'tcha think?" He slurred, grabbing at the zipper of Beth's jacket and pulling it down slowly.

The next moments happened all too fast. "Don't touch me," Beth said, smacking his hand away. The sound silenced everyone who had gasped at the man's audacity to undressing Beth. The glint in his eye had turned dark with fury. He grabbed at her wrist, his grip on her life a vice. He tugged her towards him but Beth stood her ground. Everyone was in an uproar – Alice grabbed at Beth's arm; there was no way in hell she would let this man take advantage of her like that. Not after everything they had gone through.

Then a voice hushed them all. "Let her go!" Daryl growled, glaring through the sights of his crossbow. He had come to see how Beth was doing, seeing as she and Alice were late for lunch. Will had gone to the carousel to get the food and table for them. Daryl was glad he was the one retrieving Beth and Alice. Anger exploded throughout him. All he could think of was the man's hand on Beth's arm and the pained expression on her face. "Let. Her. Go."

The man made a show of releasing Beth's wrist. But that wasn't good enough for Daryl. He didn't like the fact that he hurt Beth. And he could tell by the way that Beth rubbed her wrist that it was still painful. Daryl dropped his crossbow to his side, sidling up to the man still dangerously close to Beth and Alice. The man had smiled, thinking Daryl was done with being mad over the situation. But he was far from being done with what happened. He fisted the man's shirt in his fist, his forehead pressed against his.

There was no escaping Daryl's fury. "Don't _ever_ touch her again. Or it'll be the last time you'll ever be usin' your hands. Yah got it?" Daryl asked, shaking him roughly by the collar of his shirt. The man wasn't scared, but angry. No one ever manhandled him like this before. Despite that fact, the man nodded slowly against Daryl's head, keeping his gaze even on his. Daryl shoved him away. "Get outta here," he bellowed gruffly.

He didn't have to tell the men twice. It was surprising how fast they could sober up when their lives were in danger. Once they were out of earshot, Daryl turned to Beth, his gaze softening upon seeing her face. He expected her to be on the verge of tears, but she remained strong. "Are yah all right?" He hushed, taking her wrist into his own hands. He pulled the glove down, inspecting the skin below for any marks or blooming bruises. The skin was clear for now.

Beth hesitated, but nodded. She didn't think she was going to handle the predicament as healthily as she did. She was secretly happy that Daryl had showed up when he did. Both Beth and Alice were worried that it would have ended quite differently. "I'm fine," she whispered, gazing up into his eyes. She was fine, now that Daryl was there. He pulled her into his chest, draping an arm around her shoulders. If Beth felt safe anywhere in her whole life, it was in his arms and she was starting to believe that would never change. "Thank you," Beth whispered into his chest.

She felt his lips ghost across her temple. It wasn't quite a kiss, but it was something. "I'm sorry," Daryl told her. He wasn't quite sure what for, but it seemed right to say it. In the back of his mind, he was always worried something like this would happen. He felt Beth shake her head.

"You don't have to be sorry, Daryl," she said, tightening her arms around his torso. She had forgotten they were in front of the girls, but she didn't care and neither did he. In that moment, it was only she and Daryl alive in the world in their minds. After a little, Beth pulled back. "Ready to go grab some lunch?" She was determined to not let this whole ordeal bother her. She had overcome so much; this wasn't going to crush her progress. Daryl smiled ruefully and nodded. Beth looked back to Alice, who had been watching the pair closely. She stood, following them towards the carousel without another word.

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**I think I made it clear enough that they're both starting to acknowledge their feelings for each other! Let me know what you think!**


	17. What Always Was

**Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. My schedule was not working out with letting me write. And every time I went to write, either someone came over or I had to go somewhere. But I finally got this chapter up! I'm nervous about it, so be kind! Despite that, I hope you enjoy it. It's been long awaited.**

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The carousel was crowded with ravenous survivors. Will had flagged the three of them down, waving them towards the table and food he reserved for them. He couldn't quite decode the expressions on their faces, but he could tell that something had happened. Will couldn't help but keep his skin from crawling when he let his mind wander. "What's wrong?" He asked his wife, tugging her down to sit next to him.

"Some men caused us trouble," she said back, glancing discreetly towards Beth. "Drunk, stupid men." Will bit back a growl. But one look from his wife and it silenced him. Everything turned out okay in the end and all that mattered was that she was sitting next to him unharmed.

Beth made quick work of her meal. She hadn't tasted a bite, but at least she had something in her stomach and something to occupy her mind. She was making a conscious effort to push the encounter out of her mind. It could have ended a lot more horrible. If it hadn't been for Daryl, she didn't know what would have happened. She shot him a glance, meeting the gaze that was already trained on her face. A hot blush warmed her cheeks. "So you have a run tomorrow?" She asked, her question both directed to him and Will.

"Yeah," Daryl said, almost dolefully. He wasn't going to admit to her that he wanted to spend all day with Beth and not those men. But he had to contribute, he had to help out; this was an important run and he couldn't throw it to the wayside. "We leave early tomorrow mornin' n' we'll get back at sundown," he explained. Beth leaned into him, pressing her arm against his. She didn't want him to go. But that was selfish of her. What he was doing was much bigger than the both of them.

Alice threaded her arm around Will's. "You're going too, hon?" She asked, blinking up at him. He nodded, planting a sweet kiss in the middle of her forehead. Beth felt the jealously ebb through her. She wanted to be able to do that to Daryl. Tell him how much he meant to her and hopefully get something of the like in return. Beth averted her gaze, stifling a yawn. It had not gone unseen. Daryl's trained eyes had caught the action like he had many times before.

Though Beth was getting better, her endurance still wasn't there. She wasn't used to be out of bed for such long hours. He hadn't realized how late it had gotten. The space around of them had emptied vastly, most of the residents wandering back to their homes for the night. The sun hung low in the sky, the atmosphere burning a deep red. "I think we're gonna turn in for the night," Daryl said, collecting their dishes. "Got an early mornin'," he said to Will. "Better get some sleep."

Will gave a curt nod, never agreeing with him more. They went their separate ways, both wanting to get ample time to sleep and recharge for the run in the morning. Daryl and Beth walked home in the dimming light. "You're getting better," Daryl praised. "With staying out longer n' what not." Beth nodded, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear that had fallen out of her hat.

"Thanks," Beth blushed again, kicking at the snow. They were almost home. She was happy. She would be in the warmth of the heater and could put her pajamas on. She wanted to spend some quality alone time with Daryl before he would go on his run. Daryl held the door open for Beth as she slipped by silently.

"I'll wait out here while yah change," Daryl said, stopping her in her tracks. He wanted to smoke a cigarette anyway. She nodded, moving farther into the house. She turned the heater on immediately, wanting the warmth to seep into every corner of the room. She quickly stripped out of her clothes, goose bumps prickling her skin instantly. She could smell the faint aroma of Daryl's cigarette – it paused her just for a moment before she wriggled into her nightclothes. Beth pulled hat back on before crawling under the covers to try and keep warm. Once she was lying down, she only realized how tired she really was. She would have fallen asleep fairly quickly if she wasn't shivering. The added heat seemed to be doing close to nothing. "Are yah decent?" Daryl called, finished with cigarette.

He knew she was dressed, because he had watched her undress. His curiosity had gotten the best of him. He watched through the small crack between rooms from outside. He only caught glimpses of skin, the curve of her butt and breasts. His breath came in strangled gasps, why was he feeling this way? But in his mind, he didn't have to ask, he had known for quite some time now. It was only now how much he realized that he was in love with Beth – and always had been. "Yeah," Beth called back, pulling the covers tighter around her.

She watched as Daryl sauntered into the room, shucking his jacket off. Beth shut her eyes as Daryl stripped down to his boxers, throwing on his sweatpants and a warm flannel shirt, doing up the buttons deftly. "God, Beth, you're fuckin' shiverin'," he said, noticing the chattering of her teeth. Beth watched as he crossed the room quickly, throwing up the covers and crawling under them to join her. Without another thought, he wrapped his arms around her quivering body, trying to suppress the wracking with his added body warmth.

Beth pressed her hands against his chest, closing her eyes and breathing in his such familiar scent. He smelled of pine and smoke and Beth would never get tired of smelling it. Daryl tucked her head under his chin, feeling her chilled breath against his neck. She was still shivering, but they had slowed down. Daryl knew he should have let go at some point, but he wanted to savor this moment forever. He wondered if it meant nearly as much to her as it did to him. "Beth?" He asked, pulling back a little. The light in the room had gone. He could only see the outline and the shine of her blonde hair and the gleam of her eyes. But it was enough for him. She hummed, acknowledging his question. "Do you ever get homesick?" He asked.

He wasn't quite sure why that came out of his mouth, but he was eager to hear the answer anymore. Beth bit her lip, pondering his question carefully. The last home that she really was the prison. Though it wasn't the most ideal of homes, she did miss it. She missed the people she lived with, she missed Judith, but most of all, she missed her house. It felt like a lifetime away that she lived at the farm. But it also felt so close; it felt like she had only met Daryl yesterday. "Yes," she whispered truthfully. She knew she should ask if he did as well, but judging by the marks on his back, he wasn't going to miss his childhood home much.

Daryl wasn't sure what answer he was looking for. He missed living at the prison. He missed Rick and he missed his motorcycle. But he thought of his home now with Beth and he really wasn't homesick. All he needed was here with her. He couldn't ask for anything more but his friends. "But," Beth's voice broke into his thoughts. "You are my home now," she squeaked, her eyes finding his in the dark. The truth in her words rang true. Before he realized it, Daryl's hands had moved from her back to her hips, his cold fingers brushing her bare skin.

Beth's throat had tightened at the feel of his hands on her skin. His fingers seemed to leave a burning trail across her hips. She wasn't cold anymore. Daryl's heart beat frantically underneath Beth's palms. She was sure her heart was going as fast as his was, if not faster. She smoothed her hands up to his shoulders, cupping the sides of his neck. Time slowed down as Daryl pressed forward, his lips hovering on hers. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to be doing this. This was Beth for heaven's sake. They had been through so much shit together; neither of them thought it would end up quite like this.

He was afraid of rejection. He always had been. But he had never been afraid of it more than in this moment. He took a shuddering breath. The feel of her lips upon his was setting his body on edge. His nerves were singing with adrenaline. They were both hyperaware of each other. Slowly, Beth nodded against his lips and Daryl's pressed his mouth fully against hers. His lips were warm, molding with hers perfectly. Her hat had been knocked askew, her hair tumbling around her shoulders. They paused a moment as if they were realizing what they were actually doing. Daryl's smell intoxicated Beth, the smell of pine and smoke swirling in her head seemed to make her drunk. She kissed him harder.

Beth threaded her fingers in his growing hair, pulling and tugging him closer to her. She sucked in a breath, forcing their mouths apart. Daryl's hands skimmed higher underneath her shirt lightly, feeling her ribs with tentative fingers. Once again, they were just hovering, their mouths barely touching. But Daryl was being greedy. He let his tongue wash over Beth's bottom lip, tasting the sensitive skin. He pressed his mouth firmly over hers again, letting his tongue search further into her mouth.

All the ease and hesitation had seemed to leak out of them. They both wanted this. They both _needed_ this. Daryl's fingers dug into her hips again, feeling Beth pull on his hair with a sensual tug. The pain he felt on his scalp only fueled his fire more. He rolled onto his back, bringing Beth with him. Her legs spread across his hips as she straddled him, the blanket draped across her back still. Her hands cupped his cheeks, relishing the feel of his stubble beneath her palms. Beth always imagined what this would be like. Sure, she had kissed Jimmy and Zach before, but they were nothing like Daryl. And she had never gone farther than just kissing before.

In the back of her mind, she didn't know if she was ready for anything more just yet. Beth pushed the thoughts away. She wanted to enjoy this time with Daryl. They both knew they should be sleeping, but this was much more exciting. Beth let out a gasp, Daryl's teeth biting down on her bottom lip. It snapped her back into reality. She pushed her hands up and through his hair as his teeth pulled on her lip and finally let it go. Beth kissed him back with such ferocity that it surprised the both of them. She dipped her tongue into his mouth, their lips moving in sync. It almost felt like this wasn't the first time they had kissed. It felt natural, it felt good.

It had started out awkward, unsure of their kisses and touches. But now, they were getting rid of any sexual tension between them. Beth realized this is what she had been missing for so many years. She was sure that Daryl had recognized the same thing. Beth moaned into Daryl's mouth, his fingers no longer cold against her skin. His hands skimmed from her bare hips to her thighs, savoring her small curves. Beth was a woman and Daryl understood that more than ever now. He groaned, feeling himself grow hard.

But he couldn't have that tonight. It would be too premature. He didn't want to take it too far and ruin what they had built up. He wanted to make sure that she was ready. Daryl pulled back, moving his hands up to Beth's face, running his thumbs over her cheekbones. "Beth," he whispered. Beth opened her eyes, forcing herself to focus on his words. He almost came undone seeing her dilated eyes. "Beth," he whispered again, pecking her nose.

"Daryl," Beth offered. She laid her head on his chest, listening to his slowly heart beat under her ear. Her eyes drooped shut at the feel of Daryl running his fingers through her messy hair. It was soothing, it was intimate – Beth couldn't imagine herself with anyone else in this moment other than Daryl. He was the only person who knew her in whole. He knew the darkest and lightest parts of her. And in return, Beth knew every corner of Daryl's mind.

Daryl rolled Beth to the side, keeping her within the confines of his arms. They had ended up in the position they had started, only their limbs were now in a tangle and Beth was no longer shivering. "We gotta get some sleep," he mused, pulling her tighter into his body. Beth nodded. She would have no problem with falling asleep. He planted one last kiss upon her forehead before they both succumbed to their tired bodies.

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**Yay! Hopefully that was satisfactory! I always get so self-conscious about putting up chapters like these. It's not my strong point, but hopefully you all enjoyed it. **


	18. Fuller Than The Moon

**All of you are amazing. I received almost 40 reviews on the last chapter. I do have to apologize though, for not putting this chapter out sooner. I decided to take a few days off of writing just to give myself a break from a rough work week. But I am back to updating now. The next chapter for this story is actually almost finished as well. So be on the lookout for that soon! Don't forget to leave a review!**

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When Beth awoke, the bed was cold. Daryl had gone from her side off on his run with Will and the others. A smile pulled on her lips as she remembered what happened the night before. Daryl had kissed her. She had kissed Daryl. Beth felt like everything in her life was finally in place. After six years of surviving together, two years on their own, everything felt right. She remembered what Daryl had told her yesterday. He would be back by sundown. Beth didn't like having to wait, especially after what they had just done.

Reluctantly, Beth pulled herself from the bed, sloughing off the blankets that were wrapped around her. She quickly stripped off her pajamas in turn for a clean outfit. Beth chose a thick long sleeve shirt, a zip-up sweatshirt, and the jacket Daryl brought back for her, and her jeans and boots. It wasn't as cold as the past few days, but Beth still despised the winter and the snow. Beth fished out her gloves from the pocket of her coat and pulled them onto her hands. She was going to meet Alice for breakfast at the carousel.

She needed some quality girl talk with her. She couldn't keep the actions of last night to herself. And she trusted Alice to not tell anyone. Beth made her way towards the carousel, kicking the snow as she went along. Her thoughts drifted to Daryl as she went. She hoped that everything went well on his run and him and Will would make it back safely by sundown. Alice was already seated at a table waiting for Beth. She had a bowl of oatmeal, dipping in her spoon and letting the contents slop back into the bowl as she daydream with her head propped against her fist.

"Whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Beth asked, sliding onto the seat next to her. Alice had claimed a separate bowl of oatmeal for Beth and eagerly started to eat it.

Alice abandoned her spoon in her bowl as she came back into the current moment. "Just 'bout Will. But what I wanna talk 'bout is you n' Daryl," Alice smirked. Beth could feel a hot blush burn high in her cheeks and her ears. She knew there was going to be no avoiding it any longer. Beth did come here to talk to Alice about Daryl anyway. "You were awfully close yesterday," she wagged an eyebrow at Beth playfully.

Beth let herself laugh. "I guess we were," she smiled shyly at her bowl. She took a deep breath before telling her about what happened that night. She steeled herself for Alice's reaction. Daryl had told her that Alice had once thought they were married. "But, last night. He kissed me and I kissed him back. We ended up making out," Beth grinned, glancing at Alice from the side.

Alice gasped and clasped her hands together in front of her. "I knew it was just a matter a time!" She exclaimed. She asked a slew of questions in a matter of seconds. "What was it like? Did you enjoy it? Was it everything you imagined?" Beth only laughed at her enthusiasm and let her get all her questions out before she chose one to answer. But before that happened Alice launched into the story of how her and Will met. It was a long story about how they met at work and he swept her off her feet with many added details. Once that story was done, Alice paused a moment before her eyes sparkled. "We should throw them a returning party sorta thing. It could be a bonfire, have a bunch of food ready for them when they get back. As a thank you," Alice said.

Beth nodded, agreeing. "I think it's a great idea." She was glad that Alice got distracted easily and didn't have to answer her plethora of questions about her and Daryl's relationship. The pair quickly finished their breakfast, disposed of their bowls and headed off to the party pavilion to consult with the other ladies about the bonfire plan.

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Kimber and the other girls were doing laundry, trying to beat the cold and get it up to dry during the sunniest part of the day. Laundry in the winter wasn't done too often due to the clothes freezing when they were done, but they had no choice. They did not have washers and dryers to use. "Hey," Kimber smiled, abandoning the shirt she was beating clean in the tub of water. "What brings you here? I thought you were gonna help with dinner dishes."

"We were," Alice said, stepping forward to propose the idea. "We are. But we had thought up an idea. You know how the guys are out on the run now? They'll be back by sundown n' Beth n' I thought we should have a bonfire party for em'. Make some food and welcome them home. They've been throwin' a lot into this run," Alice continued, preaching their idea to the group of ladies beneath the pavilion. By the time Alice was finished speaking, everyone had their attention focused on her. Beth held her breath for their thoughts on the situation.

Kimber smiled and stood. "I think it's a great idea. I'm sure we could scrounge up some food to make them before they return by sundown," she grinned to her fellow launderers. They all returned the nods and smiles. Beth and Alice took their seats, helping to finish up the laundry and get it hung up to dry. With the combined effort, they finished the task within no time.

They made their way back to the deserted carousel, the breakfast feast over and done with already. They split into groups: Beth, Alice and Lainey. Kimber, Delilah and Esther. Beth's job was to build the bonfire. They left her and Alice and Lainey to do it because Beth had done it so many times before. Alice had built a fire just once before. But if they wanted it done right, Beth was there to lead the way. The other group would take care of the food.

Finding firewood during the winter was not hard to do. Everything was dead. Beth, Alice and Lainey went from tree to tree, collecting some of the dead branches that fell and most of the twigs that had fallen from the snow. By the time they had regrouped together, they had enough to fuel the fire, but nothing to make the frame with. "Tyler has some logs back at the house," Lainey spoke up, staring at the pile of wood they had collected. "I don't think he'd mind us usin' them for this."

It was the best they were going to get. They couldn't go outside the fences either. Beth could go out by herself, but with Alice and Lainey in tow, it'd be too dangerous even if the walkers were half frozen. Lainey led them back to her house, which just happened to be a souvenir shop shaped like a castle. She waved them around the back to where their stash of logs was. There were only three, they weren't very long but they were thick. It was just what they needed for the frame.

It took them much longer to drag the logs back to the field than they had expected. They were on a time crunch if they wanted to get the fire up and going already by sundown. It was about lunchtime and they hadn't even started getting the fire together. Beth wiped her brow free of sweat that had collected from dragging the log back to the field. "Okay," she breathed. Alice mirrored her actions. She almost wanted to shed her coat, but she knew that wouldn't be the best idea. Once she took it off, she wouldn't get that heat back. "Let's get the frame up n' goin'."

Together, they leaned the three logs against each other in a triangular figure. For the next forty-five minutes, the three of them filled in the gaps with twigs, branches and kindling of all sizes. Lainey had brought and old book that she no longer needed for the fire starter. They ripped out page-by-page and crumbled them into balls around the base of the fire and within the structure. By the time they were finished, they could smell the food the other group had started to cook. "Wanna go check up on what they're making?" Beth asked Lainey and Alice. They both nodded eagerly. All of them had worked up an appetite but they would have to wait for the men to return.

When they arrived at the carousel, the smell was overwhelming. Beth, Alice and Lainey combined had never seen so much food in one place since the infection hit. She didn't know how Kimber, Esther and Delilah did it in such a short amount of time. Everyone helped bring the food and tables over to the field where the fire was. It took no time for the food to be set up. The sun hung low over the horizon, it could dip below at any moment. "Let's light it," Beth said, Kimber handing her the box of matches.

Beth struck one match and then another, holding it against a piece of paper in the heart of the structure until it caught. Within minutes, the entire fire was blazing with flames that seemed to lick the sky. "They should be back any moment," Beth smiled, stepping back to watch her work glow in the dimming light. Alice linked her arm with Beth's, both of them waiting for their men to return home.

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Hours passed and the men still had not returned. Night was in full bloom, most of the food had been devoured and the fire was dying. Beth had bitten her fingernails down to nothing out of anticipation. When Daryl made promises, he never broke them. Something had gone wrong and Beth could feel it in the pit of her stomach. She could throw up if she really wanted. "They'll be back soon," Alice told her, trying to catch her attention.

Alice was equally worried as Beth. This was the longest run she had seen to date and Alice had been living in the park since the beginning of the infection. Beth heard what Alice had told her, but she couldn't do anything but stare into the smoldering embers. It was all that was left of her fire. She felt hollow. She kept replaying the moments of the previous night over and over again in her head. She was lucky to have that moment before Daryl had to go off on the run. Beth could almost laugh at the thought of the moment. What Martha had said was true.

A silent tear slipped from Beth's eye and rolled down her cheek. It froze almost instantly in an icy trail. He was dead and she was convinced. She believed wholeheartedly that no one had survived or they would have been back by now. Alice sat down beside Beth, resting her cheek against Beth's upper arm. Beth didn't forget that Alice's husband was also on the run. "Alice, what are we gonna do?" She asked. She had been with Daryl for six solid years; she didn't know what to do without him.

"We're gonna live for them," she answered strongly. Beth admired how tough Alice was being. All Beth wanted to do was cry, but that was always how she coped. Just then there was a commotion that broke the two of them apart. Someone exclaimed that they had finally returned. Beth felt her heart rate spike as she climbed to her feet.

Her hands were twined with Alice's as they turned towards the fence. Her eyes searched the darkness for the fence's gate and for the people who would be coming through it. And that's when she caught sight of him. His face virtually unscathed except for a small smudging of blood on his cheek. But he was there in the flesh just when she thought he had been torn from her. Beth tore her hand from Alice's as she took off towards the group. "Daryl!" She exclaimed, reaching him in seconds. He opened his arms wide for her as she flung herself into them, wrapping her own arms around his neck. "I thought I lost you," she whispered into his ear.

He squeezed her hard, his fingertips digging into the thick material of her coat. He could feel her tears on his neck. He was just hoping that they were out of happiness. He turned his face into her neck, nuzzling her hair. "I should have kissed you longer," he whispered back. Beth pulled back to look at him, kissing him tenderly. She reached one hand up to his face, cupping it slightly as she brushed away the blood with her thumb. "What happened?" She asked, shaking her head slightly as her eyes searched his.

Daryl loosened his grip only a fraction as he took a deep breath. "We found a camp," he started. Beth felt the chills eat at her skin. "Walkers had found it before us. We had disposed of all of them and lost no one. We wanted to search through their belongings to see if there was anything of use and I found this," he said, almost choking on his words.

Beth looked to what he was holding in his hand. It had ripped a gasp from her throat painfully. She met his eyes and he nodded. In Daryl's hand was a sheriff hat that could only belong to Rick and Carl. She couldn't remember who had been wearing it the day that the prison fell. "I made them look all around to see if they were still in the area, but we found nothing," he revealed. Beth ran her hand over the brim of the hat, her fingers coming back crimson. She shut her eyes at the images the blood brought to mind.

"I'm just glad you're okay," she smiled through her clearing tears. Daryl reached up, freeing her cheeks of tears that would not fall. "Are you hungry? You must be starvin'," she said, pulling him towards what was left of the food and fire. Daryl was indeed famished, but he did not want to leave Beth's side. He knew he had broke his promise to her about being back by sundown. He felt terrible for it. But he was happy he was here now, back by her side. They finished the night off together by the dying fire, eating and laughing, holding hands and staring at the night sky. They both had swallowed the night and felt fuller than the moon.

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**So hopefully I'm not making the interactions between Beth and Daryl too cheesy. That is not what I wanted for this story. But I do believe they have a soft spot for each other. Let me know what yah think! Love yah guys!**


	19. Angel In Arms

**I think a lot of you are going to enjoy this chapter! Anyway, I'd like to give a HUGE thank you to Riain and Slytherin-Princess10 for helping me out with this chapter. I owe you guys big time! Without further delay, chapter nineteen! Don't forget to leave a review (;**

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The night was quiet around Beth and Daryl, only the small chatter of Alice and Will to accompany them. Everyone else had found their way home in the late hour. Beth was sitting on Daryl's lap, lying back against his chest as they both stared into the flickering embers. His heartbeat was steady against her back right in between her shoulder blades. The slow rhythm made her happy, it reminded her that he was alive after she was convinced he hadn't made it.

"Tell me what you found," Beth said. She knew that Daryl said he found nothing, but she still needed answers. She needed closure. She felt Daryl's arms tighten around her, his fingers pressing firmer into her palms.

He sighed. He hated to relive the moment of coming across the hat. The thought of them being so close and not knowing it was tearing him apart inside. It made him hopeful that the others were still out there. But he knew the chances were slim. "It was a small camp, Beth. It was almost like ours right after we fled. Very temporary," he told her, knowing it wasn't what she wanted to hear. She nodded against him. She had heard enough.

Will had cleared his throat, catching both of their attention. "We're gonna head home. Long day. Night, you two," he said with a small wave and a tired smile. Alice waved goodbye to the both of them and twined her hands with her husband's as they made their way back to their home. It was just Daryl and Beth left behind now. It reminded her of the countless nights they spent together before they found the amusement park group. Only now they were much closer and Beth wouldn't have it any other way.

"We should get back, too," Daryl whispered in her ear. His voice was low and warm against her skin. She nodded again, finally acknowledging how tired she was. But she could only imagine how drained Daryl was. He had been out on the run since before the first light and then he had found Rick and Carl's hat. Daryl helped Beth off his lap carefully but not letting her go too far. He wanted to spend as much time with her now that he could. He was tired, but never more awake.

Daryl kicked snow onto what remained of the fire, snuffing it out. He reached for hand, interlocking their fingers once again. When he was with her, he was home and he had been homesick all day long. "You don't have anything planned for tomorrow, do yah?" Beth asked him quietly. She wasn't used to having Daryl be gone for so long. And after this scare, she didn't think she was going to allow it again. He shook his head, gaze connecting with hers.

He brought her close into his body, draping his arm around her shoulder as they walked back towards the house. A small, chilly breeze had started, making Beth shiver again. No matter how many layers of clothing she packed on, she'd never be warm enough in the wintertime. Though, Daryl did help. He had enough body heat for the both of them. The house came into view through the darkness; they would soon be there. They paused at the foot of the steps, Beth turning to face Daryl, looking up into his stormy eyes. "I've never missed you more than I did today," she said, searching his eyes. He let his eyes fall shut at her words. She cupped his face, smoothing her palm down until it rested on his shoulder. "Kiss me," she whispered, breaking the small silence between them.

Daryl let his eyes flutter open, not wanting to delay another second. He grabbed her waist, pulling her taut against him as he crashed his lips against hers. He was home. They were lost in each other. Beth snaked her arms around Daryl's neck as he hoisted her into his arms. Beth in turn, wrapped her legs around his waist. Somehow they had ended up inside the house, Beth pinned against the wall as they kissed.

Something felt different between them. They felt closer; all the tension between them was nonexistent as of now. Daryl tugged on Beth's lip with his teeth as her feet touched the floor. His hand found the zipper of her jacket and eased it down slowly as if to ask for permission. But Beth wasn't about taking it slow anymore; she had waited years for this. Beth pushed off Daryl's jacket, ripping open his flannel shirt. Before they both knew it, they were standing naked in front of each other. Beth took a step back, their gazes burning into each other. And then he reached forward, taking her hand in his and pulling her in close to him.

A thousand thoughts collided in Beth's mind as his lips traced the artery in her neck. She gasped when his body pressed up against her from the back; she could feel his want of her pressing against her backside. Turning in his arms, her eyes connected with his, the cobalt blue burned with a fire she couldn't describe. Beth shivered as his gaze took in her bare skin. He knew her heart, her mind, and now he knew her body. Nothing was a secret anymore, not between them.

"You sure you want this?" Daryl asked, his voice quiet so only she could hear.

Beth nodded, running her fingertips over his bare chest, watching his body go rigid as his eyes drooped shut.

"I've waited years for this, Daryl, it's time. We can't fight these feelings anymore."

It was Daryl's turn to nod, opening his eyes to cup her cheek in his hand, brushing her lips with his. Beth's lips were soft and warm, the chill in the room forgotten as passion warmed their skin. He moved his hand to palm the back of her neck; his other hand took hold of her hip, pulling her against him. Daryl's heart began to beat faster as he plied her lips apart with the tip of his tongue, Beth giving him access as her body relaxed in his grip.

Daryl relished in the feel and taste of Beth, she was everything he wanted her to be, everything he needed her to be to make him whole. He was drowning in her, and he didn't give a damn about coming up for air. He kissed her as if she was the most important thing in his life, the one thing he cherished above everything else.

Daryl slowly backed Beth over to their bed; Beth fell into the bed with Daryl falling on top of her. He supported his weight on his arms, caging her underneath him. Beth reached up, grasping his long hair to pull his lips to hers. Her lips met his, Beth moaned into his mouth as his fingers ran along her ribs. Daryl chuckled; Beth hadn't been touched by another man that was clearly evident. He felt like he wasn't worthy of taking her virginity, he was Daryl Dixon, white trash redneck. He wasn't a good man; he was a drifting asshole who just happened to get stuck with this angel in his arms.

Beth sensed his apprehension, running her nails over his scalp and down his back. "Daryl, you're good enough for me. I've loved you for years, we just couldn't see it."

With those words escaping her, Daryl nodded into her shoulder, kissing and sucking on her earlobe down to her neck, leaving behind a trail of electricity. Beth's fingers glided down his back, to rest on his ribs as he trailed his lips down her chest. Daryl sucked a nipple into his mouth; his tongue laving the hardened peak, Beth arched against him. The juncture of her thighs rubbed along his length, her heat and wetness making Daryl groan around Beth's nipple.

Daryl looked up into Beth's face, seeing her lips slightly parted, her hair fanned out around her. In that moment he knew she was meant for him, his heart belonged to her. His lips trailed farther down her body, nipping and sucking on her hipbone. Beth fisted his hair, her hips moving under him as her body responded to him.

Daryl could smell her, the musky scent that he knew was Beth filled his senses, making the animal side of him growl in hunger. Daryl pushed that side down, shrugging Beth's knees over his shoulders and pushing her up into a half sitting position. He kissed and nipped along the insides of her thighs, his hands gripping her ass, pulling her just that much closer to his mouth.

Beth felt his warm breath wash over her most intimate flesh, her body trembling in anticipation. Daryl smiled as her body came alive at the touch of his fingers slowly sinking into her core. Beth called out his name through clenched teeth, Daryl pulled the soft lips into his mouth, licking and sucking each in turn. Beth groaned loudly as Daryl licked his way up her slit, from his fingers to the sensitive pearl that defined her as a woman.

Tracing his tongue around the nub of flesh, Beth began to pant quickly, her scent stronger as Daryl lapped at her, savoring the taste of his woman. Her fingers gripped his hair tight, as the muscles within her rippled around his fingers. Daryl continued stroking Beth's slick, smooth skin, his fingers almost melodic as she came around him.

Beth's eyes clenched tightly closed, as the buzz built in her belly. She felt like she was floating, as her body released around Daryl. If this was what death felt like, she would be happy to die in his arms – the arms of the man she knew she loved.

Daryl licked his fingers clean of Beth, the taste and scent turning him on even more, the erection bordering on painful. He knew with Beth having her first orgasm that it would hurt less for him making love to her. Daryl pulled himself up onto his knees, watching Beth writhe through the aftershocks.

He leaned down to kiss her gently, her eyelids fluttering open tickling him.

"Yah better now?" Daryl whispered against her lips.

"Yes. But you need to finish." Beth's breathless plea didn't fall on deaf ears.

"Relax, darlin', I don't want to hurt you anymore than I have to." Daryl took a deep breath, running his hand through her folds, using her wetness to coat his aching cock.

Beth swallowed as her body shivered at his touch; her eyes bulged as she took in the sight of him on his knees, the size of him making her tremble.

Daryl took hold of Beth's hip, groaning at the feel of her wrapping around him. He'd never known a woman that tight, he was sure she was tearing as she stretched to accommodate him. His suspicions were confirmed as Beth cried out, her fingers tearing at the sheets. Daryl stopped his motions, letting her get used to the feel of him inside her.

Beth felt the sharp pain of Daryl penetrating her; there was nothing that could be done about his size. She shivered as Daryl's lips touched hers, the warmth bringing her mind somewhere else.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Daryl mumbled, ready to pull out if she said otherwise. He didn't want her first time feeling cheap and emotionless.

Beth answered him by wiggling her hips to get Daryl to move. It elicited a moan from Daryl, Beth's tightness mixed with him not getting laid in years made him feel like he was going to cum right there. Daryl laid a hand across Beth's hips, feeling his length inside her under his fingers.

"Easy, Beth, this ain't gotta be rushed," Daryl gritted out, concerned that he could actually feel himself inside her from the outside.

He heard her huff; as if she was annoyed he wasn't moving. Daryl rotated his hips, making her gasp. '_Serves her right,'_ he thought to himself, thrusting a bit harder inside her. Pinning Beth beneath him with hands planted on the bed beside her head, Daryl unleashed the animal within himself enough to draw his own pleasure.

Beth moaned under Daryl, her nails digging into his ribs as he fucked her deep. She felt the burn growing within her, the sounds of her body accepting his and the growls rumbling in his chest made her want Daryl even more.

Beth struggled to breathe, the feeling of Daryl within her, the warmth of his body on hers felt so right. Beth's fingers gripped into Daryl's ribs as the orgasm rushed through her blood, making her whisper his name against his chest. Tears rushed down her cheeks as the tremors wracked her thin frame.

Daryl grunted through his release, feeling her walls milk the orgasm from his body. Sweating, he pulled Beth against him, kissing her neck as she continued to tremble. He rolled over onto his back, pulling her on top of him. She felt right in his arms, felt right against him. She was what would save him in this world, this woman he loved.

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**Hopefully you enjoyed this! Tell me what you thought! (:**


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